A former Al Ahly player has made some big claims about Mamelodi Sundowns following the Egyptian giants' 2-2 draw with the South Africans in the CAF Champions League this past weekend.
Al Ahly Coach Left Frustrated After Downs Star's Heroics
After taking a 2-1 lead in the 74th minute, manager Marcel Koller was frustrated when his side conceded a late equaliser on Saturday in Group B of Africa's biggest club competition.
A late goal from Thapelo Morena ensured Downs left Egypt with a point, with Al Ahly having picked up just a single point from their two opening matches of the tournament.
Masandawana, meanwhile, currently hold first place in the group, but ex-Al Ahly player Adel Abdel-Rahman believes he has identified what the biggest weaknesses in Rulani Mokwena's team are.
"Sundowns are one of the best offensive African teams, but they are not so good defensively," he said, according to KingFut.
"It is a team that plays good football, but they are not intimidating. Al Ahly are going through a difficult period since returning from the FIFA Club World Cup.
"They had to go to Sudan to face Al-Hilal, before playing in Aswan, and finally confronting Mamelodi Sundowns. This definitely has its impact on the players."
Abdel-Rahman believes his ex-club could be facing a familiar dip with how many games they are playing across different platforms.
"Al Ahly missed several opportunities against Sundowns, and the rhythm of the game had to be broken after the second goal by Hussein Al-Shahat, and it was a defining point in the outcome of the match. The South African team was motivated and attacked fiercely after the second goal," he added.
"Every season during this time of the season, Al Ahly face these difficult circumstances due to the amount of matches they had to play. Starting from participation in the FIFA Club World Cup, it is usually followed by the CAF Champions League and the Egyptian Premier League's games. Koller is rotating his players but the team must learn from the mistakes that occurred in the past."
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