File Photo: Ahly coach Marcel Koller. Photo courtesy of Ahly.
"We need to give our players a break and allow them to recover from the physical demands of the previous match in order to score and secure our spot in the final," Koller stated during the post-game press conference.
In the first leg held in Lubumbashi on Saturday, Ahly managed to secure a goalless away draw against TP Mazembe.
The upcoming second leg, slated to take place in Cairo on Friday with an expected crowd of 50,000 supporters, will determine the team that advances to the final.
Koller acknowledged the challenging conditions his team faced, saying, "The hot weather had an impact on our players. It was a tough game."
While both sides having scoring opportunities, neither managed to find the back of the net in the first leg, setting the stage for a decisive encounter in Cairo.
The winner of the second leg will progress to face the winner between Esperance of Tunisia and Mamelodi Sundowns FC of South Africa in the final.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Short link: