18 - 24 October 2001
Issue No.556
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 18 - 24 October 2001 Issue No.556 |
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Bound to be red
brahim Said's nine-month drama ended with the wayward player still wearing Ahli's famed red jersey. Egyptian football's enfant terrible told Alaa Shahine how the stalemate was broken
Ibrahim Said, Ahli's international defender with the ubiquitous chip on his shoulder, decided to stick with Cairo's fabled Ahli side, signing a new three-year deal worth about LE1 million. The agreement thus ended a nine-month saga that had put the temperamental player in the headlines of every major local newspaper.
It was a sudden breakthrough in a stalemate that did not look like it could be broken unless Said left the team. "I didn't imagine that such a crisis would end in just a few days," Said told Al- Ahram Weekly following Ahli's humiliating 4-2 defeat against Angolan side Petro Atletico in the African Champions League.
Despite the hammering, Said, in the line-up for the first time since February, was a standout, hunting down every ball in his new role as an attacker. His work that night in Cairo was appreciated by Ahli supporters. "I can't describe my happiness," he said. "I really did not know that Ahli fans love me that much."
The same fans were not too long ago demanding Said's head after the player fled to Belgium in a failed attempt to play for club side Ghent.
Shortly after his departure, Ahli slapped a six-month ban on him. The suspension, backed by FIFA, stipulated that the player would not be eligible to sign for a new club without Ahli's consent, forcing the 22-year-old to return home empty-handed.
But Said was not through. Shortly after his return, the acrimony between player and club continued until the board decided to put him on the transfer list with a huge $1.5 million price tag.
The decision prompted the player to pack up for another European trip, this time to England, where he spent two weeks in August training with Premiership club Charlton Athletics and First Division side Coventry City. He failed to impress either.
"The reason behind that was their salary," Said said when he returned. "They offered me £4,000 per week, a low fee considering England's high living standards."
Failing to complete his European move, and with no suitable compromise with Ahli in sight, Said was close to joining cross- town rival Zamalek, following in the footsteps of Ahli's Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan.
"There were negotiations and I was comfortable with the way Zamalek's officials were treating me," Said said. "But I decided in the end that I did not want to leave the club where I had spent more than 10 years of my life."
Zamalek sent Ahli an official request to engage Said's services for a LE300,000 transfer fee, an offer that was rejected outright by Ahli.
According to the player, the turning point in his rocky relationship with Ahli came after the team's match against ASEC of Ivory Coast in the African Champions League which Ahli won 2- 1. Said, sitting in the stands, was roundly booed by the fans. "That made me feel that my career at Ahli had come to an end," he said. He began training at the club the next day and dozens of the club's supporters approached him apologising for the fans' behaviour. "It was a great relief to know that there are still many people who want me to stay with Ahli."
Things then quickly fell into place. Shortly before Ahli's encounter with Petro Atletico, Said received a phone call from Khaled El-Darandali, a prominent Ahli member, promising him an instant return to the squad if he signed on the dotted line with the club. "And that was it," Said said. "I signed at once because I had said several times that I was willing to stay in Ahli provided I was given a fair chance to play. But many people thought I was just buying time until I signed with Zamalek."
Despite the new chapter, Said said he still dreams of moving to Europe. "I haven't ruled it out entirely," he said. "It was just put on hold until I help Ahli win the league and African titles."
On the team's chances in both competitions in light of its lacklustre performances in recent games, Said urged fans to be patient. "We have a very young and inexperienced squad. But with many promising players it will not take us long before we get back on track."
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