The Egyptian club Al Ahly is set to host the Moroccan club Difaâ Hassani d’El Jadida (DHJ) on April 20 in the first leg of the play-offs of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup.
After facing elimination in the African Champions League, Al Ahly aims to salvage its continental season by advancing to the group stages of the CAF Cup. Despite struggling in the domestic championship, the Cairo giant has recently shown signs of improvement, climbing to 2nd place in the ranking. However, it’s important to note that Al Ahly is experiencing its worst performance in over a decade, with early elimination from the African Champions League and four defeats in the championship highlighting the team’s regression this season.
Mohamad Youssef, the coach of Al Ahly, acknowledged the challenges the team is facing, attributing them to a transitional phase between the departure of many key players from the old generation and the emergence of a new one. Despite these difficulties, Youssef expressed optimism about the team’s direction, emphasizing the importance of their recent victories in the national championship in boosting players’ confidence and morale ahead of the upcoming African match.
Al Ahly is determined to put forth their best effort in the match against DHJ, aiming to secure a favorable result to ease their task in the return leg scheduled for April 26 in Morocco.
Tags: African, Al Ahly, CAF, champions, clubs, Difaa Hassani of El Jadida, Egypt, league, Mohamad Youssef, National of Cairo, Sayed Abdel-Hafiz
