Ahly suffered a narrow 1-0 loss to Sundowns in the first leg at Pretoria's Loftus Versfeld Stadium, with Thapelo Maseko scoring the decisive goal just seven minutes into the second half.

In their recent encounters, the Cairo Giants have struggled against Sundowns, facing four defeats, including a heavy 5-2 loss in the CAF Champions League last March, and managing only two draws.

Despite the setback, Ahly coach Marcel Koller expressed confidence in his team's ability to make a comeback against Sundowns. He emphasized the importance of the anticipated massive presence of fans at Cairo Stadium, as their support is a motivating factor for the players.

“I am happy that we will play in front of a full capacity crowd at Cairo Stadium, as our fans motivate us and their presence is essential,” Koller told the pre-match news conference on Tuesday.

Koller also criticized the video assistant referee (VAR) system in the first leg, pointing out that it failed to award his team a clear penalty when Percy Tau was fouled inside the box.

On the other hand, Sundowns coach Rhulani Mokwena denounced Ahly for their complaints against the refereeing in the first leg, urging the Reds to focus solely on their performance on the pitch.

“I am surprised that Ahly are complaining about everything. Ahead of the first leg, they asked for the match start time to be changed and that already happened, and every time they lose against us they lodge a complaint against referees,” the coach said in the pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

The winner of this game will face either Tunisia's Esperance or Morocco's Wydad Casablanca, who are competing in the other semifinal, with the Moroccan side hold a 1-0 advantage from the first leg.

Notably, the AFL title winner will receive a prize of $4 million, the highest reward in continental club competitions.

(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)

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