By Amr Shaheen BBC Sport Online, Cairo

Watching Gabriel Batistuta and Brazilian World Cup winner Cafu pit their skills against Africa's club of the century is the talk of the town in Cairo.

The huge interest in Sunday's match between Al Ahly and AS Roma is reflected in the intense coverage given to the game by the daily newspapers.

But it is not the first time that a top European clubside has played Ahly in Cairo.

Memories of last season's 1-0 victory over Real Madrid remain fresh.

Radwan is unfazed by the match

But that result has not blinded Ahly's players to the size of the task they face on Sunday.

The Cairo side had a poor start in the Champions League, losing at home to Senegal's Jeanne d'Arc, which has unsettled players and officials at the club.

"Our home loss in the Champions League has put us under tremendous pressure," says captain Hady Khashaba.

"When we played Real, everyone expected us to lose, but now a lot of people are awaiting our victory against Roma."

Home advantage

The Egyptians are not without experienced performers.

Yasser Radwan, just back from a stint at Bundesliga side Hansa Rostock, is one player who is trying to stay calm despite the pre-match hype.

He insists he will approach the match as seriously as any other.

"After being in the Bundesliga for five years and playing against sides like Bayern Munich, Leverkusen and Dortmund, it's no big deal playing against Roma.

"The match might end in a draw but the hot weather in Cairo may work in our favour."