Esperance look to defend Champions League title

Esperance are tipped to retain their African Champions League crown when they host Al Ahly in Saturday's return leg of the final.

The Tunisian side start as favourites despite missing several key players against the Egyptian giants.
The holders were held to a 1-1 draw by hosts Al Ahly a fortnight ago.
However, the result came at a great cost as Harrison Afful and Sameh Derbali picked up their second bookings and are suspended for the second leg.
Midfielder Majdi Traoui has also been ruled out on account of a training ground injury, which required surgery and will sideline him for several weeks.

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“We will not think of the result of the first game”

Nabil Maaloul Esperance coach

Esperance are also sweating on the fitness of star forward Youssef Msakni, who underwent an appendicitis operation on the eve of the first leg final in Alexandria.

Esperance only need a clean sheet at home to win back-to-back Champions League titles.
That would see the Tunis-based outfit join an elite class of clubs which include Enyimba, Al Ahly and TP Mazembe.
It would also deny Al Ahly a seventh Champions League title.
But Esperance coach Nabil Maaloul insisted his team will be going for an outright victory.
"We will not think of the result of the first game," said Maaloul.
"We will instead play as if we lost the first match because this final is far from decided."

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“The only way to stop them is to avoid conceding corners or free kicks near our box”

Wael Gomaa Al Ahly defender

Veteran Al Ahly campaigner Wael Gomaa warned that his team would have to avoid giving away corners and free kicks to stand any chance of upsetting the defending champions.

"Set pieces are Esperance's main source of danger, other teams really struggle to deal with it," said Gomaa.
"The only way to stop them is to avoid conceding corners or free kicks near our box."
The major absentee for the Egyptians will be experienced defender Sayed Moawad, who is nursing a foot injury, which also sidelined him from the first leg.
After the decision by Egyptian authorities to allow a restricted crowd to attend the first leg, Tunisian officials had planned to let in just 27,000 fans due to fears of crowd trouble.
But that number has been increased to 35,000 after representations from the Confederation of African Football.
It means the 65,000-capacity Rades Stadium on the outskirts of Tunis will be virtually half-full.
In the 2010 final, Esperance fans threw missiles onto the pitch during and after the game following their team's defeat.
Last year, teargas was fired by police to stop fighting between Esperance supporters and fans of beaten finalists Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.
The winners of this annual competition will also represent Africa at this year's Fifa Club World Cup in Japan.