Patrice Beaumelle, the coach of Tunisian Esperance, talked about facing Egyptian Al Ahly tomorrow in the African Champions League, confirming the difficulty of the match and that it represents an early final.

Al Ahly will meet Esperance tomorrow, Saturday, at the Cairo International Stadium in the second leg of the African Champions League quarter-finals.

Beaumelle said in the pre-match press conference: "The preferred scenario is to qualify for the semi-finals despite the difficulty of the match, but we have motivations and the match is extremely difficult despite Al Ahly playing without fans. I represent the Esperance club, so the work is more collective than individual."

He continued: "The idea of playing without fans is extremely difficult... We always prefer to play amid a crowd presence. Al Ahly will start tomorrow with pressure and try to score goals, and according to the course of the match, we will determine our plan."

Beaumelle also said: "There are fans from Tunisia present at the airport, and this is a big thing and motivation for us. The fans know that the match is without fans, but they insisted on attending to support the team."

He concluded: "This match represents an early final between two giants and is extremely difficult, and preparation must be 100%."