It has reportedly been revealed why Al Ahly will travel to South Africa a day earlier than initially planned for their game against Mamelodi Sundowns.
The current holders of the CAF Champions League, Al Ahly will continue their title defence later this week when they face Sundowns in the first-leg of their semi-final clash at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday afternoon.
Both teams have already begun preparations for the match, with Al Ahly expected to make their way to OR Tambo International Airport within the next 24 hours.
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According to El Watan News, the Red Devils were initially scheduled to leave Cairo on Wednesday, but the team will now depart on Tuesday evening.
The report claims that the travel plans had to be brought forward due to the club being unable to secure a private flight as originally intended.
Furthermore, the Egyptian giants are said to be planning two training sessions before the game, both of which are scheduled to take place at 3pm.
It is noted that the coaching staff want the players to acclimatise to the conditions in Pretoria at that time of day, as the match is also set to kick off at 3pm on Saturday.
In addition, the Al Ahly delegation will reportedly include a private chef to prepare meals for the players and oversee a specialised nutrition programme for the squad.
In 12 CAF competition meetings between the sides since 2019, Sundowns have recorded five wins, Al Ahly have claimed three victories, and four matches have ended in draws, according to Sofascore.
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By Lukhanyo Mtuta
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