Egyptian Champions Ahly is in talks with several sides to hold a friendly this week as part of their preparations for their decisive match against Stade Malian on 14 May.

"We will play a warm-up game in the upcoming days. It would probably be against Libya, who are staging in Egypt now, or with Dakhleya," he was quoted as saying on the club's official website.

The Cairo-based club must beat their Malian guests if they want to book a ticket to the quarterfinals of the African Champions League (CAF), a tournament that they have won six times.

The Reds were defeated 1-0 away and were trapped in Mali for six days due to the ongoing coup in the country, so the CAF approved a two-day delay to their match.

Amidst security concerns, Ahly’s second leg of round 16 of the most prestigious African championship will be held in a military stadium behind closed doors despite the club’s demand that fans be allowed to attend. 

Coach Manuel Jose is working on new tactical strategies urging his squad to be solid against their Malian opponents.

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