By: Ahmad Saied & Ahmed Maher - Sfaxien would be on the brink of winning the African Champions League title should they score at least one goal in the first leg in Cairo, Tunisian players said. "We will take the pitch on Sunday eyeing an away goal," Sfaxien striker Tarak Ziadi told FilGoal.com on Friday night after the team's closed training session. "If we could win in Cairo or even grab a 1-1 draw, life would be much easier at home," he added. Sfaxien take on Egyptian and African champions Ahli on Sunday night in a quest to clinch their first title in Africa's premiere club football tournament. The second and decisive leg will be staged in Tunis after two weeks. In a two-legged final, Sfaxien know that snatching an away goal even in a defeat then going out cautiously for a triumph at home may be the most effective strategy. The 27-year-old Ziadi scored his side's only goal in a 2-1 defeat against Ahli in Cairo earlier in the tournament when both teams were drawn in Group A. With Sfaxien winning 1-0 in Tunisia in the opener, they could have won on the away-goal rule if it was a knock-out tie.
Midfielder Abdelkrim Nafti acknowledged the importance of finding the net but voiced more confidence in his side's defensive abilities. "Scoring in a draw isn't the best result we can achieve in Cairo because we are able to register a victory," the 25-year-old Nafti said. "Our airtight defense will keep Ahli's scoring attempts at bay while we play our attacking game and try to snatch an away goal," added Nafti, who scored three goals in 14 appearances in the Champions League. However, statistics say that the Tunisians coveted result is most unlikely. Ahli were never defeated or even held to a draw in their six home games in the Champions League this season. The title holders scored 17 times while African Cup of Nations' best goalkeeper Essam Al-Hadari conceded only once when he was beaten by a second-half strike from Ziadi, who believes he can repeat the feat. "Al-Hadari is a great keeper but I have already scored against him in Cairo so why wouldn't I do this again?" a confident Ziadi said.
