Al Ahly boss Marcel Koller has revealed his delight at winning back-to-back CAF Champions League titles, describing the final as boring’.
Al Ahly have defeated Esperance de Tunis 1-0 on aggregate to claim the 2023/24 CAF Champions League title.
The Red Devils had played out a disappointing goalless draw away in Tunisia last week in the first leg of the competition’s final.
However, with a full-capacity crowd in attendance for the return leg at the Cairo International Stadium, Al Ahly managed to come out on top, thanks to Rami Rabia’s early winner.
Speaking on the game, Marcel Koller said: “I am very happy to win the title. Esperance is a very tough competitor.
“We tried to create chances and break through their defensive block. If we had succeeded in finishing our chances, the result would have been different.
“The most important thing is that we won the 12th CAF Champions League title and played a great match. I am very happy with this title.
“It’s too early to talk about the Club World Cup. There are many leagues and tournaments before reaching it in 2025.
“When I arrive at the hotel today, the fans will demand a new trophy. I am hungry to achieve titles all the time. As a player, I won titles, and as a coach, I have as well. My ambition is to succeed even more.
“The first leg was poor, which made the second leg tougher. Therefore, we were somewhat cautious.
“We managed to score against Esperance’s solid defense. We had to play this way and made changes to control the midfield. Over 90 minutes, we played a great match and the players executed the instructions perfectly.
“The final was not beautiful. Sometimes finals are boring because of the coaches’ strategies. The joy of football is in reaching the final deservedly.
“We achieved historic things and the longest unbeaten streak in the continent’s history, conceding only one goal. These are the characteristics of a great team.”