LIVE: Al Ahly v Sundowns | CAF Champions League Quarter-finals
15:00 ET Canada-USA | 21:00 Cairo Local Time
Venue: Cairo Stadium
Al Ahly of Egypt are set to clash against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of the CAF Champions League quarter-finals.
Both sides are familiar with each other, having faced off at the same stage in the past two seasons.
Mosimane was in charge of Sundowns on both occasions, and maybe one of the reasons Ahly went for him last year is that he had inflicted their worst ever defeat in an African competition — a stunning 5-0 reverse in Pretoria in 2019.
But the 56-year-old was on the losing side last year as Ahly took revenge with a 3-1 aggregate quarter-final victory, with Mosimane then taking charge of the Red Devils before the semi-final stage and leading them to a long-awaited Champions League crown with a memorable 2-1 win over Cairo nemesis Zamalek in the final.
Mosimane, a serial winner, was best known for introducing an attractive brand of attacking football with Sundowns, whom he led to a host of domestic honors as well as the 2016 Champions League crown.
His early months with Ahly suggested that he would keep faith with his trademark flowing football as they also won the Egypt Cup and finished third at the FIFA Club World Cup in Qatar.
However, a fixture pile-up due to lengthy stoppages caused by COVID-19 has taken its toll on Ahly, with a series of injuries hitting the team as they labored with some lethargic and inconsistent displays in recent matches.
Sundowns look in better shape as they lead the South African league table with a seven-point advantage over their nearest challengers and with a game in hand.
Ahly are still missing influential left-back Ali Maaloul, who has been out of action since picking up a hamstring injury against Bayern Munich in the Club World Cup semis in February.
They are also still without midfield linchpin Hamdi Fathi and Nigerian winger Junior Ajayi. Sundowns have doubts over the fitness of talisman Themba Zwane.
FT: Al Ahly 2-0 Sundowns
