The Danish manager, who took charge in October, said Friday that preparations for Saturday’s opener against Algeria’s JS Kabylie were disrupted by the late return of national team players.
“Yesterday was the first day we had a full squad after the international break. We need to rebuild focus quickly because this is a very important competition,” Thorup told reporters at the pre-game conference.
Thorup said he is managing minutes carefully, with midfielder Emam Ashour, who has been away for nearly two months with a Hepatitis A disease, easing back to fitness and young arrivals such as Hamza Abdel-Karim and Belal Attia pushing for opportunities.
“I don’t want to live on the past. We must improve our performance and concentrate on the Champions League,” he added.
The coach acknowledged the pressure that follows Africa’s most decorated club, but said it was part of the appeal of accepting the job.
“I know the expectations from fans and media. The demand is always for trophies, that motivated me to come here. Everything is clear: we must win,” he concluded.
Captain Mohamed El-Shenawy said Ahly are determined to start well in a group featuring AS FAR of Morocco and Tanzania’s Young Africans.
“For us, entering any competition is with the aim of winning it,” the goalkeeper said.
Ahly qualified for the group stage with a 2-0 aggregate victory over Burundi’s Aigle Noir.
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