Al Ahly captain Mohammed El Shenawy says he wanted Mamelodi Sundowns in the CAF Champions League final after their embarrassing defeat at Loftus Versfeld.
Sundowns beat the champions home and away in the group stages which included a 5-2 trouncing in Tshwane that left them on the brink of elimination.
But the Red Devils were spared a lifeline when Al Hilal failed to beat Sundowns, before they kicked the Sudanese giants out in the final game of the group campaign in Cairo.
“At the beginning of the Sundowns match, we were doing well. We complained about playing at 3 PM due to the temperature and lack of oxygen,” he said, as per KingFut.
“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, 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] as El-Shennawy, I wanted Sundowns.”
The Egypt international keeper admitted that both Sundowns and Wydad were the teams they were looking to get ‘revenge’ over, with the Moroccan giants having beaten them at the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca for the 2022 title 12 months prior.
However, it was the build-up to the fixture that caused a major uproar within the club and Africa media as Casablanca played hosts to back-to-back finals for Africa’s elite club competition over the two seasons that were decided to host a once-off spectacle.
“For me, I wanted to face them again. Whether it was Wydad or Sundowns, either match would have been a redemption,” he added.
“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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The 34-year-old has won 17 trophies over seven seasons at Ahly, which includes three Champions League titles.