Al Ahli on brink of new soccer records

EGYPT’S Al Ahli stand on the brink of setting new standards for African club soccer, heavily fancied to win the African Champions League tonight.

Al Ahli have home advantage for the second leg against Etoile Sahel of Tunisia after a goalless draw in Sousse in the first leg last month. The Cairo giants, already Africa’s most successful side, are hoping to win the continent’s top club trophy for an unprecedented third successive time and a record sixth time overall.An emphatic display in the first leg has made Al Ahli hot favourites for Friday’s return match and they have been boosted by news that playmaker Mohamed Aboutrika has recovered from a knee injury he picked up in a league match last week.The Egyptians are also hoping to have Angolan winger Gilberto fit for the game after a recurring Achilles tendon problem kept him out of the first leg.Etoile Sahel, in contrast, go into the game without two key defenders who are both suspended.Captain Seif Ghezal, who picked up a second caution in the first leg, and fullback Mehdi Meriah, who was sent off, both sit out the encounter.”We will miss them but we have adequate replacements.It is not the first time in this competition we have had to reshuffle our defence and last time it worked out very well,” said Etoile Sahel’s coach Bertrand Marchand.”It will be very important for us to stay calm and not panic.We have tried to make our preparations as routine as possible.I am confident,” said the Frenchman.Etoile Sahel play in their third Champions League final in the last four years but have never won African football’s top club prize.Friday’s final has been moved back to Cairo’s International Stadium after originally being scheduled for the smaller Military Stadium in the Egyptian capital because of the start of the Pan Arab Games at the weekend.Al Ahli still will not be allowed to sell all of the stadium’s 67 000 seats because of the preparations for the Games, instead limiting ticket sales to 48 000.SupersoccerThe Cairo giants, already Africa’s most successful side, are hoping to win the continent’s top club trophy for an unprecedented third successive time and a record sixth time overall.An emphatic display in the first leg has made Al Ahli hot favourites for Friday’s return match and they have been boosted by news that playmaker Mohamed Aboutrika has recovered from a knee injury he picked up in a league match last week.The Egyptians are also hoping to have Angolan winger Gilberto fit for the game after a recurring Achilles tendon problem kept him out of the first leg.Etoile Sahel, in contrast, go into the game without two key defenders who are both suspended.Captain Seif Ghezal, who picked up a second caution in the first leg, and fullback Mehdi Meriah, who was sent off, both sit out the encounter.”We will miss them but we have adequate replacements.It is not the first time in this competition we have had to reshuffle our defence and last time it worked out very well,” said Etoile Sahel’s coach Bertrand Marchand.”It will be very important for us to stay calm and not panic.We have tried to make our preparations as routine as possible.I am confident,” said the Frenchman.Etoile Sahel play in their third Champions League final in the last four years but have never won African football’s top club prize.Friday’s final has been moved back to Cairo’s International Stadium after originally being scheduled for the smaller Military Stadium in the Egyptian capital because of the start of the Pan Arab Games at the weekend.Al Ahli still will not be allowed to sell all of the stadium’s 67 000 seats because of the preparations for the Games, instead limiting ticket sales to 48 000.Supersoccer