K.O 18:00 Cairo local time | 12:00 ET Canada-USA
Venue: Al Ahly Stadium
With Ahly expected to seal smooth progress to the African Champions League group stage when they host Tunisia’s US Monastir on Saturday, their fans will be more excited to see what new recruit Bruno Savio has to offer.
The Brazilian forward, who joined from Bolivia’s Club Bolivar in the close season for $1.5 million, showed flashes of his talent on his debut when Ahly secured a last-gasp 1-0 win away to Monastir in the first leg of the Champions League second preliminary round last Sunday.
His twists and turns looked promising, giving Ahly’s demanding fans hope that their team can finally find the missing creative spark in their squad.
Last season, they struggled against compact opponents because their wingers did not boast enough trickery to unlock tight backlines. Savio is the man entrusted to end all that.
The first leg against Monastir was a slow-tempo affair but Ahly got the job done with a stoppage-time header from defender Mohamed Abdel-Moneim.
They now have a straightforward task to reach the group stage and continue their bid towards a record-extending 11th crown.
Ahly are still missing South African forward Percy Tau, who is still short of match fitness after recovering from a nagging injury.
