Ahly's Danish coach Jess Thorup during a CAF Champions League pre-match press conference. Photo: Courtesy of Ahly's official website.
The Cairo giants are gearing up to face Morocco’s FAR Rabat in the second round of the CAF Champions League group stage at Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium on Friday.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Thorup stated that Ahly are focused solely on securing the win.
The 55-year-old manager reflected on his team's impressive start to the group phase.
"The team have begun their group stage journey strongly following the victory in the first round against JS Kabylie. The performance was good and we will strive to continue this momentum, achieve a positive result and deliver a strong match against AS FAR tomorrow," Thorup said during the pre-match press conference on Thursday.
"I always strive to develop the team’s performance. Of course, we study and respect our opponents, but the main goal is to perform at our best level and continue what we have started," he added.
Regarding the absence of video technology, Thorup said: "This is very important as it helps achieve justice, especially in fine details. I don't know the reason for its absence, but we respect the refereeing system and emphasize that technology has become an essential element in such matches."
"Pressure is a natural part of football, and I focus only on dealing with the pressure within my team. Big matches are always accompanied by pressures, and we work to manage them in a way that helps us achieve victory," Thorup added.
The 12-time African champions kicked off their Group B campaign with a 4-1 victory over Algeria’s JS Kabylie at Cairo International Stadium on Saturday.
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