Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane is working on raising the fitness levels of his players as they prepare for the Fifa Club World Cup and Caf Champions League.
The Red Eagles secured their second consecutive victory in the Egyptian Premier League following their 4-1 victory over El Entag El Harby on Tuesday evening.
The win had Ahly remaining at the top of the league standings, level on 16 points with Zamalek SC after six games, having won five and drawn one.
Mosimane says he was delighted to have scored four goals in the game but frustrated that his side missed a few passes in the final third, which could have given them more scoring chances.
‘There were many missed passes in the final third, but our defense and midfield were solid and we succeeded to score four goals,’ Mosimane told his club’s official website.
‘In football, you cannot predict when you will score the goal, as the team scored in the first half in my first four matches as a manager. There is no problem in scoring in the second half. It is normal and we need to accept it.
‘We concentrate on scoring more goals from set pieces in the training. Our opponents analyse our playing style very well, but we depend on several strategies to score goals.
‘We are keen to give the players, who are not fully fit, the opportunity to play. We substituted Benoun by Rabia to give him playing time, and we did the same with Saad Samir in the previous game.
‘Also, Hany joined the game after being cured of Covid-19, while Hamdy Fathy left the pitch to avoid injuries.
‘We are working to raise the fitness level of some players in the team in order to reach the Fifa Club World Cup and the Caf Champions League group stage in best shape.
‘We informed the players about our plan for the substitutions ahead of the game.
‘We succeeded to win the game and also to prepare the players, especially those who were sidelined for a long time.’