Al Ahly’s Jess Thorup recalls his African experience in South Africa ahead of his first game on Saturday

Danish coach Jess Thorup, the newly appointed manager of Al Ahly, revealed that his trip to Burundi for the CAF Champions League encounter against Aigle Noir is not his first visit to the African continent during his coaching career.

Al Ahly are set to face Aigle Noir on Saturday at 1 PM GMT at Bujumbura International Stadium, in the first leg of the second preliminary round of the 2025–26 CAF Champions League. The match will mark Thorup’s official debut as the club’s head coach after signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Egyptian giants.

Thorup’s African background

Speaking at the pre-match press conference in Burundi on Friday, Thorup said:

“This is not my first time in Africa. I’ve been here before and I know quite a bit about the continent. I gained previous experience while working with Augsburg in Germany.”

He added:

“We held a training camp with Augsburg in South Africa and played friendly matches against African clubs. That period gave me a good idea of African football.”

“I also know how important this competition is for Al Ahly and its fans. As I’ve said before, my staff and I have studied our opponent well and we are fully aware of the challenge we face here in Burundi.”

Faced Young Africans and TS Galaxy

During his time in charge of FC Augsburg, Thorup led the German side in a pre-season camp in South Africa ahead of the 2024–25 season. His team played two friendly matches — defeating Young Africans (Tanzania) 2–1 before falling 2–1 to TS Galaxy (South Africa).

⚽ Follow Pan-Africa Football across platforms for real-time news and stories.