The coastal club, who became the first Egyptian club to win the Champions League when they clinched the title in 1969, are on the verge of booking a place in the group stage after defeating Hilal 1-0 in Sudan.

A header from skipper Mohamed Hommos settled the first-leg tie in Ismaili's favor but the Dervishes are taking nothing for granted ahead of Sunday's second leg.

"Hilal are a strong team. They can win at home and on the road so we have to be cautious," Khedr told FilGoal.com on Friday.

"They lost 5-2 at home to Mazembe in the semi final of last year's Champions League but managed to defeat them 2-0 in the second leg in Congo.

"They bowed out of the competition at the end, but scoring two away goals shows that they have no problems winning away from home."

Ismaili will be looking to advance to the quarter finals and boost their morale after a poor run in the Egyptian Premier League.

They lost hopes of finishing runners up to champions Ahli after settling for a 1-1 draw with their bitter rivals last Monday.

Ismaili, who slipped to fourth in the league table, have no choice but to win the Champions League if they are to participate in Africa's premier club competition next season.