Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane says they are now focusing on defending their Caf Champions League title after sealing their place in the semi-finals this past weekend.

The Red Devils managed to secure a 2-0 victory over the Brazilians in the quarter-final first leg through goals from Taher Mohamed and Salah Mohsen at Al Salam Stadium in Cairo last weekend.

Ahly then booked their place in the last four of the continental competition after playing out to a 1-1 draw in the second leg at the Lucas Moripe Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Mosimane is happy to have qualified for the semi-finals but has stressed the importance of defending their African title.

‘We achieved our goal and qualified to the semi-finals, but we took several bad decisions in the game,’ Mosimane told his club’s official website.

‘Sundowns had the ball more than us, but not all the teams who control the ball win the matches.

‘Saying that Al Ahly’s defense is weak is not right; we scored three goals in the game, so who is weak now?

‘We have strong players, so I focused on the set pieces as this was the best way to score against Mamelodi Sundowns. I am currently focused on the Caf Super Cup game, and I do not think about who we will play against in the semi-finals.

‘I am a professional coach. I got emotional when I saw the banners against me outside the pitch. I asked myself, “What should I do more for this club?” I achieved a lot for this team, but I have to go on in my life. I do not want to talk now, but this is football and I must go on in my life.

‘One day I will write a book about my career and how I left Mamelodi Sundowns. I left them in the best possible way and we shake hands, but I do not want to talk now.

‘Champions League actually starts from the quarter-finals and we all know this. The preliminary rounds and the group stages are just warm-ups.

‘We have accomplished important achievements during the previous period, and now we are focusing on defending our African title.

‘I would like to thank Al Ahly fans for the support and everything. Also, they must be patient when we do not play well. We are taking important steps, as we won the Egyptian League, the Egyptian Cup, and the Caf Champions League last year. Now we are in the semi-finals, and we are currently focusing on winning the Caf Super Cup and the Egyptian Super Cup.’