The match, which will be held at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium in South Africa, is a must-win for Ahly, who are hoping to keep their hopes of reaching the quarterfinals alive.

Mokwena attributes his optimism to the positive support of the team’s management during the previous period.

“We have the blessing of being run by an incredibly generous family who support the idea of making Sundowns one of the greatest clubs on the continent and recognizable in the world as well,” he said in an interview with South African news website EWN.

Sundowns are currently second in Group B ranking of the CAF Champions League with seven points, three points over Ahly, who are third in the ranking. Sudan's Al-Hilal, who have played one more game, lead the group with 9 points.

Ahly held to a 2-2 draw in the home game against Sundowns in the third round of the group stage games.

Despite the positive performance, Mokwena stressed the need for continued hard work on the training field.

“God-given talent mixed with hard work is a dangerous combination, and that’s what we have at the moment,” he added.

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