Kaizer Chiefs might have horrible memories from the only time that they ever faced Al Ahly, but there's reason to believe they can stage an upset and lift the CAF Champions League on Saturday.
Shaun Permall was a starter in the 2002 CAF Super Cup when Chiefs were destroyed 4-1 by Al Ahly in Alexandria, Egypt, after winning the previous year's CAF Winners' Cup which set them up against the then Champions League winners.
Saturday's final in Casablanca, Morocco will only be the second meeting between the two clubs and will again be played as a final just like it was two decades ago.
"Football is a strange game, and you never know what happens on the night," Permall, who was at Chiefs between 2001-03, tells snl24.com/kickoff.
"This time there is no fans, so there is no advantage for Al Ahly. Judging from the way Chiefs got to the final, I have reason to believe they can still win it.
"When the competition started, who would have thought they will even get to the final? I have a strong feeling that Chiefs will pull it off this weekend.
"Football can be so strange that you play bad in the league, fire the coach and finish eighth but end up in a Champions League final. It is unheard of. Maybe it is their time.
"I am superstitious when it comes to football, and I feel this one is written in the stars that it will be won by Chiefs."
Permall feels the tireless work put in by club boss Kaizer Motaung over the last 51 years deserves a reward of this magnitude, and hopes Amakhosi return as "kings of Africa".
"Chiefs need to win this one for the boss Kaizer Motaung. Chiefs needs that title of being referred to as kings of Africa. This is the one trophy that they need the most. All else has been won but this is the one that Kaizer needs and here is the chance," he adds.
"When we played Al Ahly in that final [in 2002], the atmosphere was crazy because we were playing them in front of their fans. We were used to being the ones being supported instead of being intimidated by the opposition fans.
"Their style was on a different level because they were closer to European football than we were, in terms of the technical and tactical aspects. That is why they beat us 4-1.
"They had good players in their team especially the goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary and the defender [Wael Gomaa].
"Imagine, when they came for the CAF awards a few weeks later. The goalkeeper came to just keep fit with us at the invitation of Muhsin Ertugral, and Brian [Baloyi] wasn't impressed because that keeper had scored when we lost."