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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Fine on the road
In Ismailia, complaints from the coach but smiles from the players
Ismaili's run of away games has had coach Mohsen Saleh complaining for weeks but his side doesn't seem to mind the pressure, writes Alaa Shahine.
One of the few times Mehalla got the better of Zamalek
The team came away with a much-deserved 2-0 victory in Mansoura on Sunday, tying it with Zamalek for a share of the league lead. In the process, the players are proving, despite their coach's concerns, that some places can be just like home.
Tomorrow, Ismaili will face Mehalla, its third road game out of five matches, a fixture that Saleh has described as "very exhausting." On the Web site www.minhina.com ahead of tomorrow's clash, Saleh cursed lady luck for the schedule. "It is, of course, preferable to play more home matches in the first leg because away matches need double the physical and mental effort from the players and we're just starting the season."
Saleh said his comments should not be interpreted as an alibi should the team lose to Mehalla. "Under whatever circumstances, we have to do our best to win," he said. "We are eyeing the league trophy after our elimination from the African Cup Winners Cup, and to win such a long competition, you have to win at home and away."
Up till now Ismaili has been doing both. Against Mansoura, Mohamed Mohsen and Attia Saber gave the team the goals it needed in a largely one-way traffic match which ended with the host's third defeat in a row this season.
The result gave Ismaili 10 points, tying with Zamalek for first place, but trailing on goal difference.
Tomorrow, league leader Zamalek should have a relatively easier task against newly-promoted Sohag, while surprise package Ghazl El-Suez hosts Tersana.
Other fifth round action also features Qanah against bottom of the table Mansoura, the Arab Contractors and Goldi and Ittihad and Misri.
Zamalek leads the race following an impressive 3-0 victory against Mehalla on Sunday in Cairo Stadium. The defending champions wrapped up the victory before the interval, courtesy of an own goal by a Mehalla defender, and promising rookie Mohamed Abdel-Wahed who managed to get a foot to a long pass that put him in the clear before sliding the ball home.
In the second half, Hossam Abdel-Moneim made it 3-0 with an acrobatic bicycle kick from inside the penalty box..
Port Said's Misri continued its resurgence, edging Ghazl El-Suez 1-0, while the Arab Contractors fought to a 2-2 tie against Tersana, the same result between host Goldi and Sohag in Fayoum.
Baladia created the week's biggest upset so far, hammering Ittihad of Alexandria 4-1 in Mehalla.
In Cairo, Zamalek found the visitors easy pickings. Zamalek had barely gotten by Mehalla 2-1 in overtime in the super cup held shortly before the season began, but on Sunday Mehalla provided little of the same resistance, giving Zamalek's forwards more than enough room to create chance after chance. The tone was set early on when Zamalek defender Ibrahim Hassan's shot was parried by Sayed El-Qasrawi. The rebound returned to twin Hossam Hassan who fired a header towards goal only for El-Qasrawi to save again.
A few more such exchanges were followed by the by now inevitable goal. With the match 25 minutes old, Ghanaian striker Ahmed Felix rose to head a cross from Abdel-Wahed but it was a Mehalla defender who got there first, sending the ball past his own goalkeeper.
Hossam Hassan and Felix, former stars for rivals Ahli, jelled in the 38th minute but Felix chose to fire into the stands.
Three minute later Abdel-Wahab showed poise well beyond his 18 years when he collected Ibrahim Hassan's pass in mid- air and cleverly placed the ball past El-Qasrawi.
Mehalla could have tied immediately after the break but a shot by Ikrami Abdel-Aziz was swept away by Basher El- Tabei.
Substitute Abu El-Nasr El-Dib took another shot, this one saved by goalkeeper Mohamed Abdel-Monsef for a corner.
Abdel-Moneim was given plenty of time to fly high for his double kick, one of the better goals seen this season.
On Monday, Cherno Mansary scored an early goal against his former club as Ahli quelled a challenge from spirited hosts Qanah to win 1-0.
Mansary received Ahmed Abu Mosallam's pass and fired past a stranded Mustafa Kamal in the first minute of play.
Ahli preserved its one-goal lead though that allowed the hosts to dominate on offense.
Qanah was close to levelling in the second half but Mohamed Abdel-Rahman's header hit the woodwork. Qanah appealed for a penalty kick midway through the second half, deeming Hassan Moussa to have been downed in the penalty area, but the referee disagreed.
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