Triple setback for Al Ahly ahead of Mamelodi Sundowns clash

Al Ahly coach Pitso Mosimane has three players out for his side's second leg Caf Champions League quarter-final clash against Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday.

Mosimane has named his squad for the second leg in Pretoria, and will be without three players in Marwan Mohsen, who picked up a knee injury, Mohamed Mahmoud and Mostafa Shobier, who have both tested positive for Covid-19, as reported by Egyptian publication Kingfut.

Mahmoud has struggled with injury during his time at Al Ahly, while Shobier is the back-up goalkeeper to Mohamed El Shenawy.

According to the same publication, Mahmoud has not been entirely ruled out:

"Al Ahly’s medical team chief Mohamed Shawky stated that Mahmoud showed some improvement in the past few hours and is expected to undergo a new test in 48 hours."

On the flip side, the Cairo team has welcomed back from injury two players - Ali Maaloul and Hamdy Fathi, who both return from lengthy absences.

Al Ahly are the defending champions, having beaten city rivals Zamalek 2-1 in last season's final to earn their ninth continental title.

It was also a second Caf Champions League crown for Mosimane, who guided Sundowns to the title in 2016.

Al Ahly clinched last week’s first leg game in Cairo through a brilliant goal in the 23rd-minute by Taher Mohamed, who beat Denis Onyango with a fine curling effort, as well as Salah Mohsen’s 89th-minute tap-in, which came as a result of an error of misjudgment by Downs’ Ugandan shot-stopper.

Also still in the Caf Champions League are Sundowns’ PSL rivals, Kaizer Chiefs, who cruised to a 4-0 win over Tanzanian side Simba SC at the FNB Stadium on Saturday.

The other quarter-finalists are MC Algiers (Algeria), who drew 1-1 with Wydad Casablanca, and CR Belouizdad (also of Algeria), who beat ES Tunis (Tunisia) 2-0 last weekend.