WeeklySA_AdminSECOND LEG: A single goal could make the difference in the CAF Champions League final
By Sports Reporter
Wydad Athletic Club coach Sven Vandenbroeck has warned that they will hinge on the single away goal scored in Cairo to turn the tie around when they welcome Al Ahly to Casablanca in the return tie of the CAF Champions League final Sunday.
The defending champions lost 2-1 in Cairo on Sunday night, with substitute Said Eddine Bouhra halving the deficit in the 86th minute with a precious away goal.
And Vandenbroeck says that single goal could make the difference in their quest to defend the title. “It can be a big advantage in seven days. I think we can be very happy with a 2-1 score,” the Belgian tactician said after the game in Cairo.
He hailed his team’s fighting spirit and says the performance gave him encouragement that they can do better in the return fixture at their Mohamed V Complex backyard in Casablanca.
“At 2-0, you think you’re dead, but with an away goal, it opens all the doors. I’m very happy with what we did as a group.
Everyone who was given a chance to play performed their role well. This is a very united group and we played as a team. I hope we can be rewarded with the title next weekend,” the coach further opined.
He has also said that Ahly were dominant but not dangerous and said his players did very well with the little possession they had in their hands.
“If we were better offensively with the chances we got, maybe we could have come out with a draw. But all in all, I am satisfied with a 2-1 score,” Vandenbroeck noted.
The return leg is scheduled for Casablanca and in the least, Wydad need just a 1-0 victory to defend their title. However, if they concede, then they will complicate matters for themselves. Ahly on the other hand just need to avoid a defeat of more than two goals to reclaim the title.
Meanwhile, Al Ahly head coach Marcel Koller is confident his team can complete the job in Casablanca next week, and wrestle back the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League title from Wydad Athletic Club.
Ahly won the first leg of the final 2-1 at the Cairo International Stadium on Sunday night, and they will only need to avoid defeat in Casablanca next weekend to clinch a record extending 11th crown.
“I am delighted with the victory. The final is always difficult because it is a meeting between the two best teams in the Continent. We performed well as a team and deserved the victory,” the tactician noted.
He added; “We did not lose and I am certain we are able to score a goal in Morocco which will give us a good advantage for a positive result.”
Despite being pleased with the victory and overall performance of his team, the Swiss coach was fuming at the away goal they conceded, admitting it might tilt the balances in favor of Wydad in the return match.
“It was a mistake because these were not the instructions given by the technical staff. We made hasty decisions and ran forward more instead of keeping the ball and we ended up conceding the goal,” Koller noted.
He adds; “But, I trust in my players that we can win the title.” The coach will now immediately embark on a mission to prepare for the return leg, and this will include re-watching the entire of Sunday night’s match in Cairo to map out a better strategy to combat The Red Castle at their backyard in Casablanca.
