Coton – Ahly: ‘We don’t know what Sundowns is planning’ – Marcel Koller

Al Ahly’s coach Marcel Koller is gearing up for his team’s crunch clash against group B minnows Cotonsport in the TotalEnergies CAF champions league, with an eye on Mamelodi Sundowns’ game against Al Hilal.

The red devils no longer have destiny in their hands after a 5-2 mauling in South Africa last week, which gave Sundowns and Hilal the edge in group B.

Talking to media experts at the game’s venue in the pre match presser, the former Swiss international uttered that the watchword for Downs, should be fairplay in their game against Hilal.

“It is very important firstly that we try to get a win. We don’t know what Sundowns is planning. If they want to be first in the group or not, but we are expecting fairplay from Sundowns. We hope they play to win against Hilal’.

Sundowns are already mathematically through to the quarter-final of the competition, with two games to spare, but the ‘Brazilians’ have a big say on which team ends runner-up.

A win for Downs against Hilal in Sudan, with 10-time champions league winners – Ahly equally harvesting maximum points in Garoua, sets up an enthralling closing day battle pitting Ahly against Hilal in Cairo.

However, the speculations could be done if Cotonsport creats an upset, which is exactly what 62-year-old Kohler is weary of.

“We know that we have a very important game tomorrow. We are going to do every to win against Cotonsport.

“The most important thing is to concentrate on our game and try to get 3 points. We don’t know anything about what the future holds.” The Zurich native opined.

Quizzed on Ahly’s woes encountered on the road with 2 defeats in 2 away games, the gaffer highlighted difficulties playing in enemy territories.

“First of all we know that we are yet to win away. We tried in our last 2 home games but it is always difficult playing away.”

In the reversed fixture in Cairo a fortnight ago, Ahly ran out 3-0 winners over Cotonsport, but coach Koller still saw cameos enough to let doubts trickle into his mind.

“We played against Cotonsport in Cairo, they are a very good side. I watched them against Hilal but in football, when you don’t take your chances, they come back to hunt you.”

Temperature rose up to 38 degrees on the game’s eve and Ahly have it all to do against a Cotonsport side, playing for honor. Cotonsport are yet to win a single point in the group, same as they are yet to win a game against Al Ahly in the competition in the last 8 meetings (3 draws and 5 wins for Al Ahly).

Beaten semi-finalists in the club world cup hosted by Morocco in February, Ahly, 42-time Egyptian championship winners failed to make it out of the group stage of this competition in 2016, in a group that had Zesco, Wydad and ASEC.