Egyptian coach Hector Cuper attended Ahly's trainings session on Wednesday ahead of the Pharaohs friendly matches against Djibouti and Malawi.

"My visit to Ahly came amid my program to attend the trainings sessions of the clubs of the international players," Cuper was quoted as saying by Ahly's official website about his visit.

Within their preparations for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nation (AFCON) qualifiers, the Pharaohs will play Djibouti on 21 May and Malawi on 8 June.

"I came to coordinate with my counterpart in Ahly, Juan Carlos Garrido, but not for supporting the team ahead of Saturday's match. Ahly is big club that doesn't need the support of any one to win," the 59-year old tactician explained.

Ahly will have a tough mission on Saturday when they host Moroccan side Moghreb Tétouan in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 in Cairo after a first leg 0-1 defeat.

Egyptian league title holders, Ahly, are struggling domestically this term after a loss to Arab Contractors on Monday.

The record holders of seven AFCON trophies, Egypt, have been drawn in group G of the 2017 qualifiers alongside with Nigeria, Tanzania and Chad.

They will kick-off their bid on 14 June against Tanzania.

Egypt, under new coach Cuper, will hold two training camps; one between 18 and 21 June and another between 7 and 14 July.

Cuper's first challenge will be to bounce back into Africa's football elite after three failed attempts in a row, though the ultimate aim is to achieve the long-held dream of qualifying for the World Cup, a moment Egyptians haven't experienced since 1990.

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