The coaching staff at Cairo giants Al Ahly, led by South African head coach Pitso Mosimane, is studying more than one scenario regarding the team’s match against Tunisia’s Esperance.
The match is the first leg of the CAF Champions League semi-finals, and is scheduled to take place on Saturday at the Hammadi Al-Aqrabi Olympic Stadium in the Tunisian capital, Tunis.
Al Ahly arrived in Tunisia last Tuesday, headed by club President Mahmoud Al-Khatib.
The coaching staff has prepared more than one scenario if it is confirmed that attacking midfielder Afsha will miss the match.
The first scenario will see the team’s formation changed from 4/2/3/1 to 4/4/2, or it could see Al Ahly play with three in the centre and relying on the 4/3/3 formation.
Mosimane may consider introducing Junior Ajay to play instead of Afsha, provided that he plays the same role as a playmaker and maintains the usual way of playing for Al Ahly. The South African coach could also play with two strikers, Mohamed Sharif and Salah Mohsen.
Al Ahly’s Director of Football Sayed Abdel Hafeez had asked the players to adhere to all medical instructions and preventive measures, to curb the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
Officials with Tunisia’s Esperance team have continued their attempts to increase the number of fans attending the match. This came after Tunisian authorities agreed to allow 5,000 fans to attend the match to support the team in its upcoming match against Al Ahly.
Tunisian reports indicated that the authorities initially refused to allow fans to attend the match due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
