Al Ahly board member rejects congratulations: "We still have 90 minutes to go"

Mohamed El Damaty, a member of the board of directors at Egyptian club Al Ahly, has rejected any notion of congratulations among the fans following the goalless draw against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns.

Al Ahly held Sundowns to a 0-0 draw away from home in the first leg of the CAF Champions League semi-final. The second leg is scheduled for next Friday at 4:00 PM GMT at Cairo International Stadium.

El Damaty expressed his views on his personal Facebook page, writing:

“Please, please, please, no one say even to yourself ‘congratulations’. We still have 90 minutes to go, and it’s way too early. What happened today is supposed to be the very normal for the giant of the continent, and we deserved to win too. May God grant us generosity in what’s coming.”

Al Ahly are the defending champions of the CAF Champions League, having won the last two editions of the tournament. The club is aiming to lift the trophy for a third consecutive time — an achievement that would be a first in African football history.