Ahly coach Patrice Carteron has hailed his team's solid defence after Friday's precious 1-0 victory over Tunisia's Esperance, adding that the best is yet to come from the Cairo giants.

"We played an outstanding defensive game. We made the best of the chances that we had, and there was even a chance to score a second goal before the break," Carteron told Bein Sports after the match.

Ahly's victory over their North African rivals in Rades lifted them to the African Champions League quarters with one match to spare in Group A.

The record eight-time Champions League winners, who missed out on a ninth triumph after losing to Morocco's Wydad in last year's final, are joint leaders with Esperance with 10 points, seven clear of Uganda's Kampala City and Botswana's Township Rollers, who only have two matches to play.

"We suffered a lot during the game, but finally we dominated despite some difficulties," the French coach explained.

"We are happy with the qualification and we will play to ensure our group leadership in the final match against Kampala. We will be waiting for the attendance of our fans for whom we dedicate today's win," he added.

Ahly only need a win in their last match at home against Kampala to advance as the group winners, given their superior head-to-head record over Esperance after they played out a 0-0 draw in Alexandria in their opening group-stage clash.

"When I came to Ahly, I had two main targets. The first is reviving my players' sense of motivation, while the second is reinforcing the defence line, and this was obvious today against Esperance," said the Ahly coach.

"The team isn't totally fit, but gradually we will be better," Carteron concluded.

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