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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 July - 2 August 2000 Issue No. 492 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 27 July - 2 August 2000 Issue No. 492
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Features Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Letters An unexpected fall
Abeer AnwarA 23-year rivalry between Egypt's Ahli and Ghana's Hearts of Oak was resumed in Accra last week, when the first series of the African Champions League Group 2 matches continued.
Honours are even with Hearts winning 3-0 at home and losing 1-0 away in the 1977 quarter-finals while Ahli triumphed 2-0 at home and fell 2-1 away in group action last year.
With both teams dominating their domestic leagues -- Ahli sealing a seventh consecutive league title this week and Hearts standing 16 points ahead of their nearest rival, Goldfields, and heading towards a fourth championship -- match play was expected to be high.
Both teams' dreams of topping Group 2 were realistic, as contenders were surprise qualifiers Jeanne d'Arc of Senegal and Lobi Stars of Nigeria -- whose hopes were hampered by cash-related troubles. Last week's match, however, may have brought doubts as to Ahli's chances; with the 2-1 loss, judging by play that day, being a score, unfortunately, deserved. Despite the fact that they were playing on foreign turf -- and that Ahli lacked star striker Hossam Hassan since his departure to the Turkey -- Ahli players were expected to be full of enthusiasm, energy and drive as they came off from their seventh league title.
What the fans saw, however, was a group of seemingly perplexed and inexperienced players -- a team unable to attack or take control. From the whistle calling start-off Ahli, in a quite out-of-character form, resorted to defense -- a tactic which brought failure right from the start.
Hearts of Oak took advantage, displayed their talents, and all the game was played on Ahli net. And except for two attacks, one by Alla Ibrahim in the 32nd minute -- of which he was able to score Ahli's only goal -- Ahli's control was nil.
The Heart of Oak's play brought with it ruthless attacks, with Ibrahim Said scoring the first goal in the 53rd minute to draw 1-1. In spite of the draw, Ahli players continued with their weak defense scenario, only persisting with their faults and ineffective play. It thus shouldn't have come as a surprise that Oak'd Emmanuel Donkor scored the team's second goal in the second minute of the injury time( 92th) to give the team its victory. Other Group 2 action saw Lobi Stars of Nigeria host Senegal's Jeanne d'Arc in Makurdi; where they won 3-1.
Mohamed Mohamed, Robert Akaruye sand Imade Terhimum scored for Lobi s in the 10th, 43rd and 47th minutes, while Cheik Sar scored for Jeanne d'Arc in the 75th minute.
The outcome of this round means that Ahli will meet Lobi Stars on August 4th -- when the second round begins.
Other action saw cup favourites Esperance of Tunisia sail to a 4-0 winning start in Group 1 when they hosted Sable Batie of Cameroon -- a village team formed just six years ago.
The other match in group one saw South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns host Africa Sports of the Ivory Coast in Pretoria. Sundowns won 2-0 with goals by Lassino Dao and Issac Sha in the 55th and 82nd minutes of the match.
Sundowns' preparations received a boost last Wednesday when new coach Clemens Westerhof arrived from neighbouring Zimbabwe, having been granted a work permit.
Westerhof, who took Nigeria to the 1994 African Nations Cup title and has been a charismatic figure in the continent for the last decade.
Second round for Group 1 will start on August 6th, when Africa Sports play Esperance and Sable de Batie face Sundowns.
The outcome, no-one really knows. The hope, though, is that Ahli's players somehow muster the energy and save their own grace.
