NAIROBI, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian giants Zamalek arrived in Nairobi on Friday and sent a warning to hosts Gor Mahia that they are here to win and set their voyage in the CAF Confederations Cup on the right course.
Zamalek coach Christian Gross is upbeat that his side will slay their opponents to hold a clear advantage in Group D, which also contains Algerian side Nasr Hussein Day and Angolan bigwigs Petro Atletico.
With nine CAF club titles to their credit, Zamalek's last taste of continental glory dates back 16 years. But Gross is keen to build on that rich history to gain a psychological advantage over Gor Mahia.
"It's always good to start the group stage with a victory. The Gor Mahia game is going to be difficult, but we have to give our all, whether the game is at home or away," the Zamalek coach said on Friday.
The match will be played on Sunday, the same day as Nasr Hussein Day host Petro Atletico.
Despite their rich history, Zamalek will have to seek extra strength if they are to silence Turkish coach Hassan Oktay and his green and white brigade of Gor Mahia supporters.
"It's a totally different competition now and we have to be 100 percent focused from the start to the end," Gross said.
Some exceptional domestic form has seen them rise to the top of the Egyptian Premier League, Zamalek also took the continental scene by storm reaching the group stage in style.
The Egyptian side thrashed Chad's AS Coton Sport 7-2 on aggregate in the first round, before seeing off Moroccan side Ittihad Tanger 3-1 on aggregate to reach the group stage of this competition for the first time since 2015.
"I have asked the players to forget about the domestic league and focus on our continental mission," Gross said.
The group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup will start on February 3 and end on March 17, with the top two teams in each group going into the knockout stage.
