Mohamed Hany said it had felt like a home game for Al Ahly after they beat Monterrey at a rowdy Al Nahyan Stadium to advance to the semi-final of the Fifa Club World Cup on Saturday night.
The Egyptian side will face Brazilian giants Palmeiras at the same ground on Tuesday night, and they might expect a similarly vociferous backing as in the win over Monterrey.
Hany’s second-half strike was the difference between the sides and – after dedicating his goal to his fiancée – he thanks the Ahlawi.
“Every one of us gave their maximum and that’s the secret behind today’s victory,” Hany said. “We learned that at Al Ahly everyone keeps pushing until the end.
“We felt that we were playing at home. I would like to thank our fans for their constant support throughout the game. We will celebrate today and then start preparing for the next game from Sunday.”
Although Monterrey enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, the African champions made the more presentable goalscoring opportunities.
Ali Lotfy, Al Ahly’s goalkeeper, was only really pressed into action once, when he tipped over a header from Maximiliano Meza immediately after Hany’s goal.
“Today’s victory is a very important step for us,” Lotfy said. “We are very concentrated and committed to achieving a medal in the tournament.
“[This] performance is the result of our hard work in training. It showed how responsible we are as a team and how dedicated we are to deliver the victory.
“Finally, I would like to thank our fans for their constant support throughout the game. We will do our best to make them happy in the future.”
