Al Ahly coach Hussein Ammouta has decided to place his squad in a two-day closed camp before their Egyptian Premier League meeting with Zamalek on 11 October.
The Cairo rivals will meet at Cairo International Stadium in the sixth round of the league, with Al Ahly’s coaching staff stepping up preparations for the fixture during the current break.
An official Al Ahly source told Winwin that Ammouta wants the team to enter camp two days before the match to give the players greater focus and allow the coaching staff to prepare in detail for a game considered important to the team’s league campaign.
The decision will also see greater restrictions placed on Al Ahly’s training sessions in the days leading up to the match.
According to the source, Ammouta has decided that the team’s training should be conducted under complete secrecy as he works on several technical and tactical aspects of the game.
The Moroccan coach wants to use the sessions to test different options before deciding on the starting line-up for the Zamalek match.
The source said Ammouta is also keen to shield his players from external pressure before the derby. The early camp is intended to create an environment in which the coaching staff can work without distractions while concentrating on the details of the match.
Before turning their full attention to Zamalek, Al Ahly have two matches in their preparation programme.
The team will play a friendly against Misr El-Makasa on Friday evening at the Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium. The match is part of the coaching staff’s plans during the current break and will allow them to assess players returning from injury.
It will also provide an opportunity for several squad members to gain playing time before competitive matches resume.
Al Ahly’s next official fixture will come against Petrojet Assiut next Wednesday in the group stage of the Egypt Capital Cup.
The coaching staff intends to use that match to give playing opportunities to a number of players while continuing preparations for the Zamalek fixture, which will take place four days later.
Ammouta’s preparations will also depend on the return of Al Ahly’s international players after their national-team commitments.
The coaching staff is waiting for those players to return to training before beginning the final phase of preparations for the derby.
Once they return, Ammouta will assess the physical and technical condition of the squad before making his final decisions on the matchday list and starting formation.
The two-day closed camp will then provide the final opportunity for the coaching staff to maintain focus within the squad and complete preparations for the meeting with Zamalek on 11 October.
