The Red Devils had the upper hand in two crucial African Champions League duels with Coton Sport, prevailing in 2008 and 2013 to go on and win the continent’s elite club competition.
They are meeting in a less glamorous competition this time around but Ahly are still passionate about winning the only title missing in their trophy-laden cabinet despite some inconsistent displays, with the club embarking on a rebuilding process to make up for the retirement of talismanic playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika and rock-solid defender Wael Gomaa.
“We are very familiar with Coton Sport, and we know how difficult it is to play them in Garoua,” Ahly’s board member Taher El-Sheikh, who heads the club’s delegation in Cameroon, said on the Red Devils’ official website.
“We are confident that we can get a positive result on the road that would make our mission in Cairo easy.”
Ahly are in a buoyant mood after extending their Cairo derby unbeaten streak to 18 matches, having defeated Zamalek in nervy shootout following a 0-0 draw to win the Egyptian Super Cup for the eighth time on Sunday.
