‘It’s good to be back’: Al Ahly star Percy Tau as he prepares to take on Sundowns in AFL semifinal

Percy Tau was always going to take centre stage. 

The Bafana Bafana striker is back at Loftus with Al Ahly to take on his former team Mamelodi Sundowns in the semifinal of the African Football League (AFL) on Sunday (3pm) and is happy to be back home.

Before the Red Devils held their final training session at Loftus on Saturday afternoon for the much anticipated African derby, Tau looked comfortable. Loftus was his stamping ground for many years. 

“It’s good to be back,” he said with a smile while adding that a lot has changed in the Sundowns team since the last time he was at Chloorkop.

“I am playing against a team that has changed so much. I don’t know if you are aware that most of the players that I played with have left the club. It is totally a different team, but we want to do better than the last time we were here.

“We are a team that wants to win and wants to get to a final but we know we are playing against a difficult opponent. We are prepared and we want to do better, it is just one of those games where I am playing against familiar faces and a coach that I worked with also and I am looking forward to the game. 

“We are a team that is willing to take the knock but keep on going and the only thing that matters for us right now is that we are in the semifinal and we want to go to the final. 

“Last time we were in the group, now we are in the semifinal and we want to do everything and win it.” 

In the lead-up to this clash, there was confusion about the kickoff time and Al Ahly captain Mohammed El Shenawy said they are not bothered to be playing the match at 3pm instead of 5pm. 

“It is not an issue for us, we have done it in the past and when you play against Sundowns you know that you are going to play at 3pm. For us it is not a problem and we did not speak about it as a team. 

“It is normal that when you come here or in Africa it is always going to play at 3pm and this is not something new. For us the most important thing is to be prepared and focus on what we are going to do to make sure the second game in Cairo is easy for us.” 

Sundowns coach Rulani Mokwena said they enjoy playing in this fixture. 

“It has been a marque fixture and one that we enjoy playing also. I think this group has shown that over the last few occasions and we are looking forward to what should be a difficult semifinal at home against a good side. 

“There has been a lot of movement, a few changes and structurally they have kept more or less the same offensive structure. Apart from the possibility of Alou Dieng playing a little bit higher that normal.”