Al Ahly head coach Marcel Koller has expressed his delight with the Reds’ qualification for the CAF Champions League semi-finals over Raja Casablanca.
Al Ahly have secured qualification for the CAF Champions League semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Raja Casablanca on aggregate.
Despite heading into the return leg with a two-goal cushion, Al Ahly had a difficult time in Morocco but managed to hold Raja to a goalless draw.
The draw was enough for the 10-time African champions to advance to the semi-finals for the fourth consecutive season and set up a clash with Esperance de Tunis.
Speaking after the game, Koller said: “We are happy with the qualification.
“The match was tough as expected, and we were poor in the first half because the players lacked confidence in their ability to exchange passes and possess the ball, especially with constant pressure from Raja players.
“But fortunately, they missed a penalty kick at the end of the first half, and we were calmer in the second half and gave a better performance.
“Raja’s playing style in the first half forced us to retreat because they were fierce and didn’t leave us space to pass. We lost the ball quickly and didn’t have the courage to move forward as we usually do, but we improved in the second half.
“If Raja scored a penalty at the end of the first half, I would have told the players the same instructions. To be calmer and not be affected by the goal and play the usual ball without losing it as easily as we did in the first half.
“Raja was more dangerous against us from some set-pieces and the penalty they missed, but they did not create any danger from open play, and generally, it’s good that I gained experience from playing in these conditions.
“The decision to sit some players on the bench is difficult, especially when you are the one who prepared these players, and sometimes I had to take out some players who fought in training, but I can’t take all the players.
“Therefore, I try to rotate between the players every period and give everyone a chance. I even care about training those who didn’t travel with the same intensity while they are in Egypt,” Koller added.
