Pyramids confident African experience will overcome challenges, says Hany Said

Pyramids will rely on the experience of their squad as they begin their CAF Champions League campaign against South Sudanese side Mreikh Bentiu on Friday, sporting director Hany Said said.

Pyramids face Mreikh Bentiu in the first leg of the round of 32 at Juba Stadium in South Sudan, with Said confident the Egyptian club can cope with the difficult conditions and secure a positive result ahead of the return fixture.

“The players now have enough experience to play in matches such as these,” Said told the Pyramids media centre. “Most of them have taken part in African competitions and have also represented the national team.”

Said acknowledged that playing away from home in Africa could present several obstacles, including the surface and the climate, but said Pyramids would focus on producing a winning performance.

“The conditions are difficult when you play away from home in Africa, particularly because the pitch has an artificial surface and temperatures are high,” he said.

“But, God willing, we will overcome these difficulties and return with a victory that gives us an advantage before the second leg.”

The sporting director also urged the squad to concentrate on the immediate challenge rather than previous results or the demands of future matches.

“We do not want to think about what has happened in the past,” Said added. “We must focus on what is ahead. Our full concentration is on the next match, and after that we will begin preparing for Tala’ea El Gaish.”

Said emphasised that Pyramids would approach the tie one game at a time and ignore distractions surrounding the team.

“We deal with every match separately,” he said. “It is important that we are not distracted by what is being said and that we focus only on achieving victory in the match.”

Mreikh Bentiu, the South Sudanese champions, have decided to allow their supporters to attend the fixture free of charge.

Pyramids will continue to be without Mahmoud Gad and Hamed Hamdan, who remain absent from the squad. Ouda Al-Fakhouri, however, has returned after missing the team’s match against Ceramica Cleopatra.

The first-leg tie in Juba is therefore Pyramids’ immediate priority, with the club aiming to take an advantage back to Egypt for the return match.