Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane has explained why the Egyptian giants picked Naturena to prepare for their CAF Champions League clash against Mamelodi Sundowns.
The African champions will take on Masandawana on Saturday, entering the game under a bit of pressure after losing the reverse fixture in Cairo 1-0.
As a consequence, Downs lead the table with seven points, while Al Ahly sit in second place with four points.
Following last year’s ugly scenes in Atteridgeville where the Al Ahly bus had been attacked and Mosimane had been insulted, Al Ahly decided to prepare for this year’s game behind the walls of the Naturena Village.
“Our preparations haven’t been very easy. We came from Merrikh to play Merrikh and within three days we had to play Pyramids. That was the top of the log game and you could see the line-up, we had put everyone in the line-up because we had to win,” he said on Friday.
“Comparing to our opponents, I don’t even know the name of the team they played and you know their line-up there.
“We are in a difficult situation of those three big games in eight or nine days. It’s not just the games in nine days, it’s also a 10 hour flight to come over here and traveling from Cairo at 2 o’clock to refill in Assouan for one hour.
“But we’re not complaining about preparations. Our preparations could’ve been better, Sundowns had a better preparation in Cairo, for seven days to prepare, no issues. But that is not an excuse, it’s the way it is and if I was in the position of Sundowns, I’d do the same and it’s fair.
“But it has been difficult for us, we had one day to prepare. Thanks to Kaizer Chiefs, thanks to the chairman Kaizer Motaung for offering us the facilities.
“We could not find any other facility in the country that has the pitch, that has area for the ice-baths, massages and the pool and the saunas. There is no facility in South Africa that has that. Naturena has those facilities.
“It was good for us to see because I hadn’t seen the facility myself and what an eye-opener to see there is team in Africa that has facilities like this, not just the pitch but the whole hospitality, also the lounge.
“Al Ahly will tell you that it’s a high-level facility. It’s the best facility in Africa, one of the best two I’ve seen on the continent in my 20 years as a coach.”
Mosimane also explained that Chiefs and Ahly have formed a special relationship off the pitch.
“There is a very good relationship outside football that Chiefs has handed over to Al Ahly,” he added.
“On the pitch we were opponents in the CAF Champions League final last year, but off the pitch we’re not opponents and I feel humbled.”
