Croatian coach Krunoslav Jurčić of Egypt's Pyramids emphasized the importance of today's match against Rivers United, scheduled for Saturday in the first round of the group stage of the CAF Champions League.

In the press conference before the match, Jurčić pointed out that the team is entering the new continental season with great ambitions, foremost among them being to defend the title they won last season and to continue dominating African football.

He said: "Pyramids has succeeded in recent times in establishing itself as one of the most prominent and strongest clubs on the continent. We have managed to reach the top and today we are the best team in Africa. Everyone knows that reaching the top is difficult, but the harder part is maintaining that position, and this challenge is what we are experiencing this season and preparing for with full strength."

He added: "The team aims to win every match, whether at home in Egypt or abroad, and this approach is the secret behind the great successes the club has achieved over the past two seasons, having won almost every tournament it participated in. The team has continued its strong start this season both domestically and continentally."