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Al Ahly forward Nejc Gradisar says he is counting on the energy from their influential supporters when they host Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg of the CAF Champions League semi-finals.
The Egyptian giants have been granted permission to have a full capacity crowd at the Cairo International Stadium against their South African counterparts in a fixture that will decide who gets a title shot.
Tickets were sold out after just two hours of being made available, guaranteeing a rip-roaring atmosphere that Gradisar will experience for the first time since joining Ahly in January from the Hungarian league.
The forward believes the ultras, as Ahly’s legion of supporters are known, will play a big part in how they approach the game.
"The first leg was really tight. We had a lot of chances to score and to get an advantage for the next match, but we will do our best in the second leg to go through to the final.
"The supporters are very important, they support us everywhere, they even came to South Africa, so we want to do our best to win tomorrow night's game," said Gradisar.
The lanky forward sounded anxious when asked about his expectations and emotions in front of a large crowd.
"From the moment I arrived here, I've been waiting for this moment. It's going to be tough for me, but I will do my best, and I believe the fans will do their best to support us," stated Gradisar.
With the tie still goalless ahead of Friday’s fixture, Gradisar still believes it will ultimately be decided by small margins.
"The match is going to be really hard, and there will be small details which will be decisive," the Slovenian striker concluded.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen whether Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso will stick to the same central defensive pair of Mosa Lebusa and Grant Kekana to police Gradisar instead of restoring Lucas Suarez.
