Al Ahly boss Patrice Carterton has insisted that the Reds’ previous results against Esperance don’t mean anything ahead of the CAF Champions League final.
The Red Devils will host Tunisian giants Esperance at Borg El-Arab on Friday, 2 November 2018 before facing them at Stade Olympique de Radès a week later.
Al Ahly have a better head-to-head record against the Tunisian side, having won seven games of 18 previous encounters while drawing eight and losing only three.
“We are dealing with the Esperance encounter as a 180-minute game. I trust the players and their desire to make the maximum effort on the pitch,†Carteron said on Wednesday.
“Playing at Borg El-Arab does not concern me much. I do not see the venues of the two matches. All I am thinking about is that Al Ahly will play 180 minutes in the African Champions League final.
“The presence of the fans in the stands in the first-leg will motivate the players to achieve the best possible result.
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“I have always considered Al Ahly fans to be a partner in the victories that have been achieved. They deserve the best and I promise that we will put on a performance worthy of the name and history of the club.
“I have asked the players not to look at the history of the confrontations of the two teams and told them to treat the game as their first match against them. They have to provide their best to win the title.
“Reaching the final was achieved thanks to many factors, but Al Ahly targets the titles, not the finals. I respect Esperance as an opponent who have reached the final,†he concluded
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