Ahly soccer fans take part in a protest against the ruling military council and interior ministry in front of the general prosecutor's office in Cairo (Photo: Reuters)
Egyptian champions Ahly expressed confidence despite their 1-0 away defeat at the hands of Stade Malian on Sunday in round 16 of the CAF Champions League.
"It was an obviously one-sided game. We dominated on the field and they won, but the Cairo match will be different,” goalkeeper coach Ahmed Nagi told Ahly Television in the wake of the match.
The Reds' technical staff hailed the players' performance and commitment to the Portuguese manager’s tactical instructions.
"We had many scoring opportunities, but we missed them – but this is football," said football director Sayed Abdel-Hafiz.
FIFA's official website described the Reds' defeat as "a surprise," adding: "Not much went right for Ahly in Bamako as Hossam Ghali and Emad Meteab had the best chance for the visitors but they failed to shoot."
"We need to focus on the home match; we're in very bad need of our fans," Abdel-Hafiz said.
The Cairo giants have chosen 12 May for their home match against their Malian opponents. Meanwhile, they have asked Egyptian security authorities for permission to hold the game in Cairo Stadium in the presence of their supporters.
"This will be a very hard game; we want our fans in attendance and we want to play in Cairo Stadium,” Abdel-Hafiz asserted.
There have been serious concerns about possible fan violence since February's deadly Port Said disaster, which left more than 70 persons dead and over 300 injured, and resulted in the suspension of all domestic Egyptian football activities.
"We understand the country's circumstances, but I'm talking about a serious need, since we're representing Egyptian football," the former Ahly defender said.
Since they will be featuring in the same round, Ahly archrivals Zamalek, too, have been demanding to play their upcoming match against Maghreb Fez with their supporters in attendance.
"Any team in the world would lose over 60 per cent of its efficacy without its fans,” Abdel-Hafiz contended.
Egyptian teams Ahly, Zamalek and Enppi have been playing their home games in the african clubs competitions behind closed doors since the Port Said disaster.
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