Match: Al Ahly v Al-Hilal Oumdurman
Venue: Al Salaam Stadium (Cairo)
Time: 7 pm
Al Ahly got probably the best draw of the quarter-finals after being drawn against Sudanese side Al Hilal.
The Egyptians seemed to not rest with their eyes always fixed on lifting the ultimate prize. The Red Devils are not in a very good shape welcoming Al Hilal after the brouhaha against Zamalek. Their rivals were awarded a 3-0 win before losing 1-0 and 3-1 against ENPPI and El Geish in the Egyptian League Cup.
Al Ahly’s last home defeat in the CAF Champions League ended in a 2-1 victory for Orlando Pirates. The Cairo giants have been inconsistent recently, but they are always ready when they are at the business end of the season.
22-year-old Nejc Gradisar, who was signed from Hungarian side Ferhervar FC, will be the main source of goals for Al Ahly as he has hit top form.
Al-Hilal Oumdurman needs the 2004 spirit that helped them win their first-ever meeting against Al Ahly, which was played in Cairo. The Sudanese side won 1-0 in the semi-finals of the play-off. The second leg ended goalless, helping Al Hilal progress but eventually lost to Supersport at the final hurdle before the Group Stage.
Al-Hilal Oumdurman plays in the Mauritanian league and will not have the opportunity to host Al Ahly in Sudan due to the civil war back home so they must fight extremely hard to avoid severe bashing.
Al Hilal, under Ibenge, got to a wonderful start in the group stage, becoming the first team to progress and has the potential to hurt the defending champions.
The trip is so tough considering all the factors. Marcel Koller’s side looks like the overwhelming favourites to win this fixture at home.
Head-2-Head
The teams have met 10 times in the CAF Champions League with the Egyptians recording four wins compared to Al Hilal’s three with three draws.
Predictions
Al Ahly 2-0 Al-Hilal Oumdurman
