Coach Marcel Koller will not settle for anything less than leading Al Ahly to the Intercontinental Cup final against Real Madrid.
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Koller has been at the helm of Al Ahly since 2022
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The Egyptian giants square off with Pachuca in Saturday’s FIFA Challenger Cup
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The Swiss coach is eager to see his team face Real Madrid in the final
Win or go home, all or nothing, last chance saloon; no matter how it is expressed, there is always a feeling of urgency behind every knockout round match.
While some coaches might shy away from placing that kind of burden on their players’ shoulders, Al Ahly coach Marcel Koller knows his squad have the muscle to handle it.
That is why he is not afraid to state his team’s simple goal: beat Mexican side Pachuca on Saturday in the FIFA Challenger Cup to then play Real Madrid in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024™ final.
“I think it’s going to be a fantastic time to be here, to play in this tournament and play against the best teams in the world,” said Koller in an interview with FIFA. “We are happy and we hope we can win the next game and go to the final.
“We went to see [Pachuca’s] game against Botafogo,” added Koller. “They played excellently tactically. That’s how we’re preparing now too. We want to get the best possible result. We naturally want to get to the final against Real Madrid.
“That’s why it’s important that the players are focused in this all-or-nothing game. The losers go home and we want to stay here a bit longer. Regardless of whether there is extra time or a penalty shoot-out. The goal has to be to reach the final.”
The encounter with Los Tuzos will take place at Stadium 974 in Doha, Qatar, while a victory would then send the Egyptian giants to Lusail Stadium, host of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ final. Having the opportunity to play in such venerable arenas is the icing on the cake for the Swiss coach.
“It’s fantastic to be able to play in these stadiums here in Qatar,” said Koller. “It wasn’t that long ago that the World Cup was held here. We also have fantastic training grounds, which is not something we have everywhere in Africa. That makes it enjoyable for the players and for me as a coach. As a result, the level is high and it’s important to feel that on the pitch in the game in order to advance.”
Al Ahly are no strangers to success in international competition. They clinched their 12th CAF Champions League title this year and four times reached the podium at a FIFA Club World Cup™ across ten appearances. They also topped Al Ain of the United Arab Emirates 3-0 in late October in the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup to reach this stage.
You can count Koller as one who has affinity for international tournaments, as they force his players to grasp the areas in which improvement is required to rise another level.
“When you play against clubs from Europe or other international teams, you can gain more experience,” said Koller. “The players learn from it, of course. I can teach them, but they learn from the speed, the technique… They see it in the other players. From my point of view, that’s the best thing. You see ‘Okay, there’s more’.
“The coach always demands the maximum,” added Koller. “That they have a good passing game, that they try to handle the ball well. But when you see that one-on-one against players who are at this level, it’s obviously a motivation to get even better. I hope our players will benefit from it.”
