Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane believes his side spurned a golden opportunity to decide the tie against Raja Casablanca.
The Red Devils came out on top against Raja Casablanca with a 2-1 victory in the first leg of the CAF Champions League quarter-finals on Saturday.
Amr El-Sulya opened the scoring from the spot after converting a controversial penalty before Hussein El-Shahat doubled Al Ahly’s lead minutes later as Raja Casablanca pulled one back just a minute before the break.
Raja Casablanca were put under more pressure in the second half when they went a man down around the hour mark as Marouane Hadhoudi blocked the ball off the line with his arm.
However, the Moroccan giants miraculously held on and maintained the scoreline, leaving Al Salam Stadium with only a one-goal deficit after 90 minutes.
Despite the win, Al Ahly will feel disappointed with the result as they had the lion’s share of possession and chances created but somehow failed to extend their lead and capitalise on the momentum they had.
Speaking after the game, Pitso Mosimane expressed his frustration with the chances his side missed on Saturday evening but vowed to make amends in the return leg.
“The second leg will be very difficult for us, and we should have decided the tie in our stadium, but unfortunately that did not happen,” Mosimane said in the press conference after the game.
“We will win in Morocco, and I am certain of that. I trust my team It will be difficult to win there, but since I arrived at Al Ahly, we have been winning games there.
“We missed a lot of chances that could have put the tie to bed. I will talk to the players about some things regarding the game, but I cannot address them publicly.
“I am not a magician and my role as a coach is to teach the players how to move, pass and create spaces, but I cannot control the decisions they make on the pitch,” he added.
