Al Ahly coach: "We didn't allow the opponent to control the game"
- Hossam Ahmed
- 3 days ago
- 1 min read
Al Ahly head coach Marcel Koller stated that his team delivered a strong performance against South African side Mamelodi Sundowns, creating numerous chances throughout both halves.
Al Ahly played out a goalless draw with Sundowns on Saturday in South Africa in the first leg of their CAF Champions League semifinal.
Speaking at the post-match press conference as quoted by Al Ahly’s official website, Koller said:
“We didn’t allow the opponent to control the game. We are fully aware that this match represents only half of the current stage. There’s still another half to be played in Cairo, and we must stay highly focused in the second leg to reach the final.”
The Swiss manager added: “Possession is not important if it doesn’t lead to any benefit. Al Ahly created several chances — one of them hit the crossbar — and we were more dangerous overall. We succeeded in playing with great organization.”
He indicated that Al Ahly is well aware of the danger posed by Sundowns and will prepare strongly for the return leg in order to prevent the opponent from scoring.
Koller concluded: “We’ve gained experience and managed to study the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. The players gave everything they had during the match.”