The Red Devils were shocked 1-0 at home by South African giants Sundowns on Saturday, slumping to their first African defeat in 13 games.
However, coach Pitso Mosimane confirmed that his side’s mission in the African competition will not be easy, admitting that the team must be more clinical in front of goal.
“We wasted many scoring chances, and we feel sad for the loss. I can’t blame the players, as they delivered their best against the Sundowns,” Mosimane told reporters after the game
“We are now in a very difficult situation, and we have to walk this difficult road to qualify for the next round.”
The lack of cutting edge is clear in Ahly’s African campaign as the team failed to score in two consecutive games, but this is not the case in the Egyptian league, where the Red Devils scored 23 goals in eight games.
Ahly’s last game in the Egyptian league saw them hammer Maqassa 4-0 before the Sundowns loss.
Moreover, a win against Pharco will also be important for the team to regain the league summit, as the team are bidding for their 43rd league title.
Ahly are now second on the league table with 22 points, one point behind leaders Pyramids FC, who played one match more.
Mosimane announced on Monday his list for the game that saw the absence of defensive duo Ayman Ashraf and Yasser Ibrahim due to injury.
On the other hand, Pharco will be looking to earn a positive result against the African champions.
In their first appearance with the elite, the rookie side produced many strong performances that put them in seventh place on the league table with 15 points from 10 games.
They have many experienced players in the Egyptian league with the likes of former ENPPI defender Rami Sabri, former Ahly striker Amr Gamal and ex-Zamalek defender Eslam Gamal, alongside international keeper Mohamed Sobhi, who is also on loan from Zamalek.
The team’s mission against Ahly will not be easy, but according to Pharco coach Magdi Abdel-Atti, his team will be a hard nut to crack.
