Ahly coach hails players’ fighting spirit after advancing to CL final

Ahmed Abd El Rasoul , Saturday 27 Apr 2024

Ahly coach Marcel Koller hailed his players’ fighting spirit in Friday’s precious win over DR Congo's TP Mazembe in the CAF Champions League semifinal, stressing that the team will be challenged in the final clash against Esperance.

Marcel Kolle
Ahly manager, Marcel Kolle

 

The Cairo giants Ahly took a commanding step towards a record-extending 12th Champions League title with a convincing 3-0 victory over TP Mazembe at Cairo International Stadium.

 “We expected tough football that depends on harshness and physical strength from Mazembe, but our players were on target and fought for every single football in the game,” the Swiss tactician Koller said in the press conference after the match.

“We managed to create several scoring chances and we scored three goals despite the fact that it was a very difficult game. I am happy with the result,” the coach added.

The Ahly coach also praised the outstanding performance of in-form goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir and hailed the teams' supporters’ role in their recent successes.

The Red Devils reached their fifth consecutive Champions League final and 17th overall.

They became the only team to make it to the final game five straight times, breaking TP Mazembe's record.

The 11-time African Champions Ahly will now face Tunisia's Esperance in the final after they defeated South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns 2-0 on aggregate.

Koller finally said that the final’s opponent Esperance should be respected for their performance this edition, adding that his team will directly start preparations for the anticipated confrontation.

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

Short link: