Ben Youssef: We respect Al Masry’s pedigree, but we’re confident of victory

The two teams meet in a Group D opening clash, AT 18:00, with Ben Youssef acknowledging that their opponents had a good run in last year’s edition. Al Masry reached the quarterfinals of this competition last season, before losing to Simba SC on penalties.

Ben Youssef says they have been following their opponents closely and know what to expect...

"I think Al Masry was in the quarterfinal of this competition last season, so they definitely have more recent history in this competition compared to us. We have watched their last few games and we have identified strong and weak points in their game, and we believe that we have the potential to get a good result tomorrow. The pressure is on Al Masry because its their home game, but for us, we want to return home with three points."

READ: Orlando Pirates agree R51-m deal as Mbekezeli Mbokazi seals MLS switch

Ben Youssef, who is no stranger to this competition, having previously won a silver medal with Yanga, says their immediate target is to finish in the top two of a seriously challenging group, alongside Zamalek and Zesco United.

In the preliminary stage, Chiefs faced some challenging matches on the road in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Amakhosi skipper Brandon Peterson says these matches prepared them well for this phase...

"We have a lot of supporters back home but wherever we go, we have our supporters backing us. We've shown in the two qualifying games that we can actually do well. It's important for us to realise that there are a few important things we need to do away from home, and then there are things we shouldn't do.

"We have prepared well for tomorrow, we know what is expected of us and we know what to expect so I'm feeling positive."

As Chiefs return to CAF Inter-Club football this season, four years after they claimed a silver medal in the CAF Champions League, Ben Youssef says the club’s rebuilding process is yielding positive results.