Al Ahly captain Mohamed El Shenawy has admitted he would have preferred to face Mamelodi Sundowns rather than Wydad Casablanca in the CAF Champions League final.
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Earlier this month, the Club of the Century were once again triumphant on the African continent when they beat the reigning CAFCL champions 3-2 on aggregate to avenge their loss from last season's final and capture a record-extending 11th Champions League title.
As per Kingfut, their latest triumph means El Shenawy is now the most decorated captain in Ahly's history in the competition, having secured his third African title at the expense of their Moroccan counterparts.
While he was able to gain revenge on the Red Castle, though, the Egypt international has now claimed that he wanted to face Masandawana again in order to rectify their heavy 5-2 loss at Loftus Versfeld earlier this year.
"At the beginning of the Sundowns match, we were doing well. We complained about playing at 3pm due to the temperature and lack of oxygen," the shot-stopper said, as per the Egyptian publication.
"In Egypt, we are in winter while they are in the summer in South Africa, and all of that causes significant stress on us. The 5-2 defeat was a big shock for us, and after the match, we felt distressed.
"The next day, [Ahly manager Marcel] Koller shook hands with all the players, including myself, and we talked about the need to forget what happened and focus on the Coton Sport match as long as there is a chance to qualify.
"The match was a turning point because we were doing well, but it caused a significant awakening for us, and the evidence is the victory against Coton with four goals in Cameroon.
"As El Shenawy, I wanted Sundowns [in the final]. For me, I wanted to face them again. Whether it was Wydad or Sundowns, either match would have been a redemption.
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"I respect Wydad Club, its fans, and its players. Some people felt distressed by my statement about getting redemption and winning the title in their stadium.
"I meant the circumstances that occurred off the pitch last season, and I was not referring to the Moroccan club itself."
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