Mohamed Abdelrahman, the captain of Sudanese giants Al Hilal, spoke after his team qualified for the CAF Champions League quarterfinals following their 1-1 draw against MC Alger in the fourth round of play from Group A.
Following the draw in Hilal's adopted home of Mauritania, Abdelrahman expressed gratitude to the players, management, and fans and emphasized that the most important thing was qualifying for the next stage.
Mohamed Abdelrahman’s Statements
"Congratulations to the Sudanese people. Today, we entered the match with two possibilities: a draw or, if we won, we would qualify.
We entered the match in the first half with some pressure on the players; I don't know what to say. Today, the most important thing was qualification for the next stage. We have not been able to qualify from the group stage for the past eight or nine years.
This year, the players have had an excellent year, and I thank them, I thank the management, I thank the fans, and I thank everyone who contributed to Al-Hilal's qualification. I thank the country of Mauritania, the government, the Football Federation, the fans, and the Mauritanian people for their support.
The quarterfinals of the tournament is another stage. It will require special thinking and work, and I hope that we can reach the furthest point possible in the competition."
Following the draw, Al-Hilal have qualified for the quarterfinals. Hilal will host Tanzanian club Young Africans next Sunday.
Group A Standings in the CAF Champions League
1. Al-Hilal Sudan – 10 points
2. MC Alger – 5 points
3. Young Africans (Tanzania) – 4 points
4. TP Mazembe (DR Congo) – 2 points
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