Royal Armed Forces coach Alexandre Santos described African Champions League final opponents Mamelodi Sundowns as the best club side on the continent over the last decade, but still suggested his Moroccan side could overcome them on Sunday.
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Royal Armed Forces trail their South African visitors by a single goal after the first leg of the final in Pretoria last Sunday and Santos admitted his side were underdogs for the return leg in Rabat.
“It is the biggest game on the continent this year and it’s a pleasure for me and my players to be involved,” Santos told Saturday’s pre-match press conference.
“It is never easy to reach the final and this is an historic achievement that has taken sacrifice and determination.”
Royal Armed Forces previously won the old African Champions Cup 41 years ago, the first Moroccan side to win the continent’s top club prize, but have never reached a final since.
“Our opponent is the best club in Africa over the last decade, but we have also proven ourselves to be competitive,” Santos added.
“Sundowns is more experienced in these kinds of games and when you are in these kinds of situations, you can win many times, but you can lose many times.
“There are a lot of coaches and a lot of teams who have played in a lot of finals, but with a lot of losses. But if you don't reach the finals, you cannot win anything,” the Portuguese coach added.
“In our case, this is our first final of this century, and we want it to be a winning moment.
“We have the right ambition and determination to play a great match and to show our collective quality.”
Santos said he hoped their progress to the final was the start of a new era for the club.
“For a long time, we didn't reach this kind of final but last year we were in the quarterfinals. This year we are in the final. Next year, I hope, we can keep up these kinds of results.”
Santos said his side had proven their worth by eliminating the likes of the Egyptian duo of Al Ahly and Pyramids from the competition and also beating Moroccan champions Renaissance Berkane in the semifinal.
But he also said Sundowns posed a different challenge because of their playing approach.
“They have a different style of playing where they love to control the game, where they love to make a better defensive block than the opponents. They don't give as much space as other teams and their inside game is unbelievable. It's very different to most of the teams in Africa,” he added.