Al Ahly boss Pitso Mosimane has admitted that his side will have to respect Kaizer Chiefs if they are going to be able to beat Amakhosi in the CAF Champions League final.
Mosimane, who guided the Egyptian giants to a record-extending ninth African crown last season, was speaking to the media ahead of Saturday's clash when he was asked about his side's prospects of overcoming the threat posed by Chiefs in the final.
"What I fear most from Kaizer Chiefs? It's not about fear, it's about reality and respect for the opponents," the former Mamelodi Sundowns boss explained.
"The reality is that they play very good football in terms of their own way of playing, and you have to respect their own way of playing because that way has made them go through Wydad, and their own way of playing has helped them to beat Simba, and Simba is not a small team.
"How can you come to the final if your way of playing is not effective? We know they are very strong on the counter-attacks, we know they are very strong on set-pieces, free-kicks and corner-kicks. We know they are very strong on crosses and most of those things are aerial strengths.
"They also have intelligent players, in terms of Nurko [Samir Nurkovic], who likes to take his own position with diagonal balls, and [Leonardo] Castro is very good, same as Khama Billiat. Bernard Parker is very good, particularly off the set pieces.
"They have hard-working midfielders, and their goalkeeper, if Itu [Khune] plays, he's very good on the counter-attacks from the goalkeeping. They are a good team. They are a big team, we have to respect them because if you want to win then you have to respect your opponents."
Scroll through the gallery below to see Chiefs' preparations ahead of Saturday's final