The Egyptian Premier League runners-up, Pyramids FC, will host their Angolan counterparts in the first round of the prestigious continental tournament group stage.

“Sagrada’s match is important as it is necessary to win the opening game in the group stage to get a morale boost ahead of our next games,” the coach said on Monday in the pre-match press conference.

“Pyramids is enjoying a successful period after securing two successive league wins, and we should make the best use of that in the Champions League,” the 54-year-old coach added.

Jurcic also highlighted the importance of winning the opening game with Sagrada, as the team will play the next two games away from home.

Pyramids FC secured their spot in the group stage following a 3-2 aggregate win over Rwanda's APR FC in the preliminary round.

The Egypt Cup holders secured a place in Group D alongside Esperance Tunis of Tunisia, who emerged as the runners-up in the last edition, Sagrada Esperança of Angola, and Djoliba of Mali.

According to Jurcic, Pyramids players should be cautious at the defensive level in Tuesday’s match, vowing that his team will deliver an outstanding performance.

“I watched various games for Sagrada, and I know they have a good squad. Also, our Congolese player Fiston Mayele gave us good feedback about them as there are several Congolese players in their squad,” the coach explained.

“They depend on playing long balls, so our defence line should be cautious. We don’t mostly depend on counterattacks like their coach said; we are a perfect team that plays a collective football and will deliver its best against them,” the Pyramids coach concluded.

Pyramids FC are making their second-ever appearance at the Champions League. They participated in last season’s edition but were eliminated from the group stage.

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