Having not won a single game on South African soil, Egyptian giants Al Ahly will be on a serious mission to end the demeaning statistic when they face Orlando Pirates on Saturday.
The Buccaneers will be locking horns against Al Ahly in their second Group C encounter at Orlando Stadium. The game will kick off at 3pm.
Despite being a powerhouse on the continent with a record 12 Champions League titles, Ahly has failed to win a single match in their last 15 outings to SA.
Eight draws and seven defeats
They have only managed eight draws and suffered seven defeats. Three of their defeats came against the Buccaneers, and two other matches ended in draws in their six meetings on the continent.
Ahly coach Marcel Koller, who was addressing the media on Friday ahead of the colossal clash, said this may just be the right moment for the Egyptian giants to finally get their first win in SA against Pirates.
“It’s right, we haven’t played as many games as Orlando Pirates. But it may be an advantage for us because we are fresh and not mentally tired.
“The other point is that… you are right, Al Ahly has never won a game here. But this might just be the right moment now for us to end that and win against Pirates,” Koller said.
“We prepared our players to end this run of history. And maybe we meet each other tomorrow after the game and we talk about this statistic [of not winning in South Africa] again.”
Quest for maximum points
In terms of preparation and the readiness of the team, Koller said the message to the players has been clear. That is to go out and display a solid performance in their quest for maximum points.
“We prepared our players to win this game and to give their best side. And after the game, if it’s a draw with a point against Pirates having played well, with a lot of chances created, we will accept that also,” he said.
“But ahead of the game, we are concentrating on preparation to try and win this game.”
Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana star Percy Tau was part of the team that had their final training session at Orlando Stadium.
