Vandenbroek eyes victory at home to retain TotalEnergies CAF CL title

Wydad Athletic head coach Sven Vandenbroek says his charges will aim all out for victory when they take on Egyptian giants Al Ahly in the return tie of their TotalEnergies CAF Champions League final on Sunday, as they seek to retain their crown.

Wydad have a 2-1 deficit to battle when they host Ahly, and an outright win is all they need to retain their crown.

“Pressure will be on Ahly because we are playing at home and this will be an advantage to us. it will be a different game from the first leg,” the tactician said, speaking during Saturday’s pre-match press conference at the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca.

“We are in a situation where we must win. Currently, the advantage is on Ahly and we know they will not want to lose that advantage easily. It will be a difficult match but the goal we scored in the first leg gives us some edge,” the tactician further noted.

A slim 1-0 victory will be enough for Wydad, but a goal for the Red Devils will complicate matters for them. 

Vandenbroeck has thus urged his side to maintain focus and be calm in the match noting it will be a vital component for them if they are to turn the result around and retain the title.

“This is an important match, not only for me, the team and Wydad fans, but also the Moroccan public. A Moroccan team has never won the Champions league back to back and this is a chase for history for us,” noted the Belgian coach.

Meanwhile, he believes that the fans will give his team an extra edge and push them towards a fourth title and he already expects a buzzing atmosphere with close to 60,000 fans expected to throng the stadium.

The match kicks off at 20h00 local time (19h00 GMT).