After the goalless draw with Stade Malien of Mali in the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday, Ahly coach Fathi Mabrouk has praised the performance of his players.

Ahly secured a point away from home after playing out a goalless draw with Stade Malien in Bamako on the 2nd matchday of the CAF Confederation Cup Group A.

In an evenly balanced match, both teams failed to carve out many clear-cut chances throughout the 90 minutes to end the game in a scoreless stalemate.

"Ahly was the best side in the first half as we dominated the visitors, but bad luck denied our chances," Mabrouk told reporters after the game.

"The long plane trip and the very high temperatures affected the players' fitness."

"I want to thank players for their effort during the game as they did their best in hard conditions so a draw is a positive result," the Ahly tactician concluded.

Ahly are now second in Group A with four points from two games, as Etoile lead the group with six points following their slender win over local rivals Esperance a day ago.

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