The Egyptian Al Ahly is looking to confirm its dominance in the African Super Cup as it faces Moroccan Raja Casablanca tomorrow at Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in Doha in its thirtieth edition. The Cairo team enters the match, which will be held in Doha for the fourth time according to an agreement between the African and Qatari federations, as the champion of the last Champions League after defeating South Africa's Kaizer Chiefs 3-0, while the Moroccan team comes in as the champion of the Confederation Cup after winning against Algeria's JS Kabylie 2-1.
Al Ahly aims to assert its authority in the competition, marking its tenth appearance, having won it seven times in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2014, and the last edition held in May, where they defeated Morocco's Renaissance Berkane 2-0 at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha. On the other hand, Raja hopes to achieve its third title after winning in 2000 against Africa Sports from Ivory Coast 2-0 and in 2019 against Tunisia's Esperance 2-1 at Thani Bin Jassim Stadium, also in Doha.
Both teams have welcomed back their international stars after participating with their national teams in the tenth edition of the Arab Cup, which concluded on Saturday with Algeria emerging as the champion. Players Mohamed El Shenawy, Akram Tawfik, Ayman Ashraf, Hamdy Fathy, Amr Solia, Mohamed Magdy Afsha, and Mohamed Sherif have joined Al Ahly’s camp in Doha after losing to the Qatari national team on penalties 4-5, following a goalless draw in regular and extra time during the third and fourth place playoff. Additionally, Moroccan international defender Badr Benoun was eliminated in the quarter-finals against Algeria on penalties as well (3-5, with 2-2 in regular and extra time).
In contrast, Raja’s camp in Doha includes the international trio Anas Zniti, Abdelilah Hafidi, and Mohamed Nahiri, who have been training with Qatari club under the supervision of former Raja player and international Youssef Safri since their elimination from the Arab Cup.
“No Fear of Al Ahly”
Raja’s Belgian coach Marc Wilmots acknowledged the difficulty of the task in statements to the media upon arrival in Doha but emphasized, "We do not fear Al Ahly; we respect the strength and great experience of our opponents, as well as their rich history of achievements, but we came here to bring the cup back to Casablanca." He added that this type of match is dictated by small details and expressed hopes to avoid pressure and maintain calm and focus to achieve their goal.
Raja’s official website published a motivating statistic highlighting their advantage over their opponent, noting that the Casablanca team has defeated Al Ahly twice in six previous continental encounters, with Al Ahly winning once and three matches ending in draws. Additionally, Raja has scored eight goals against the African champion while conceding seven.
The two teams have faced each other twice in Arab competitions, with Al Ahly winning 3-1 in the final of the Arab Club Championship in 1996 and 2-0 in the group stage of the Elite Championship in 1997.
Egyptian clubs hold an advantage in their encounters with Moroccan teams in the Super Cup, having seen Zamalek defeat Wydad Casablanca 3-1 in 2003, and Al Ahly winning against FAR Rabat on penalties in 2006 and against Renaissance Berkane in the last edition.
“Great Motivation”
Al Ahly's assistant coach Sami Komsan emphasized in a statement to the club’s media center, "The Super Cup is an important competition, and we have great motivation to win it. Raja is a strong team with good African experience, but Al Ahly remains the continental champion and the club with the most titles," referring to South African Percy Tau and Mozambican Luis Miquissone.
Regarding new signings, he stated, "They are a significant addition across all lines, especially after integrating well with the group. We are a big team participating in multiple competitions, so we need a wealth of talented players."
Coach Pitso Mosimane’s team is looking to avoid the scenario of defeat it experienced twice in the Super Cup before, falling to their traditional rival Zamalek 0-1 in 1994 and to Algeria's ES Sétif on penalties in 2015. Notably, defender Badr Benoun is the only player who has won the Super Cup with both teams, having contributed to Raja's triumph in 2019 by scoring against Esperance before winning with Al Ahly last season.
