The Egyptian club Al-Ahly, the holder of the African Champions League, announced that it will head to Qatar on Tuesday to begin preparations for the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup for Clubs hosted by the Qatari capital, Doha, during which it will face the winner of Wednesday’s match, which brings together Mexico’s Pachucana against Brazil’s Botafogo. .
Al-Ahly’s early travel to Doha comes after a day of rest given to it by coach Marcel Kohler, immediately after returning from South Africa yesterday, Sunday, following a goalless draw for Al-Ahly and its host Orlando Pirates in the match that brought them together for the second round of the third group qualifiers for the continental championship.
Al-Ahly announced its training schedule in the Qatari capital, with three training sessions, on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, before the semi-final match.
Al-Ahly assistant coach Sami Qamsar said: “Al-Ahly is accustomed to difficulties and challenges, and the players are ready and have sufficient experience to deal with the succession of matches, and the separation between the tournaments in which they participate.”
Shims explained in statements published on the official website of Al-Ahly Club on Monday, that: “The African Champions League page has been closed to begin early preparation for our match in the Confederations Cup for Clubs next Saturday.”
He added: “We have the opportunity to watch the match between Mexican Pachuca and Brazilian Botafogo, which will be held in Qatar the day after tomorrow, Wednesday, to find out which team will play against Al-Ahly, in addition to watching other matches to get to know the opponent well.”
In its new edition, the tournament included the champions of the six FIFA continental confederations clubs, namely the AFC Champions League (Al Ain, UAE), Africa (Al Ahly, Egypt), CONCACAF (Pachuca, Mexico), Oceania (Auckland City), and Europe (Real Madrid). The last of which was the Libertadores champion, which Botafogo won by defeating compatriot Atletico Mineiro (3-1) in the final.
It is noteworthy that Al-Ahly qualified for the semi-finals by winning the Africa-Asia-Pacific Cup last October, after defeating its guest Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates by three clean goals, in a match held at Cairo International Stadium.
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