Al-Ahram Weekly | Sports

		6 - 12 June 2002 Issue No.589 Sports	Current issue Previous issue Site map
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Recommend this page

It's Ismaili
The players who wear the colours of Brazil became champions in their own right, crowning an electrifying season-ending finish. Alaa Shahine reports

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Ismaili were crowned champions of the Egyptian football league for the third time in their history following a 3-2 home victory over Misri on Sunday in a match which decided the champion with just three minutes remaining.
Ahead of second place Ahli by two points before the match, Ismaili faced a must-win situation as the Cairo giants faced an easy task against the Arab Contractors. The two rivals were heading for a decisive play-off after Ismaili and Misri entered the dying minutes tied 2-2 while, at the same time, Ahli was leading the Contractors 2-1. But Ismaili would not be denied as Amr Fahim notching the game-winning header three minutes from time to send the 15,000-strong Ismaili stadium crowd into a frenzy.
Ismaili finished the season atop the standings on 66 points, two ahead of nearest rivals Ahli who cruised past the Contractors 3-1 in Cairo. Defending champions Zamalek finished a disappointing season in third place on 55 points after beating Tersana 2-1.
In contrast to Ismaili's joy, Ghazl Al-Suez were relegated to the second division following their 1-1 home tie against Ittihad. They were joined by Qanah who lost a crucial tie against fellow-relegated team Sohag 3-2.
In Ismailia, the home side had to wait no more than one minute to take the lead through sweeper Emad El-Nahhas who blasted a perfect Mohamed Barakat low pass into the back of the net.
Misri, trying to dispel rumours they would gift the game to Canal neighbours Ismaili, struck back six minutes later through Ihab Galal who rose to meet a pinpoint corner kick from Yasser El-Kenani and headed home past stranded Mohamed Sobhi.
Ismaili took the lead again, in the 29th minute, when Fahim struck an unstoppable volley comparable to the magnificent goal scored by French star Zineddin Zidane in the Champions League final against Bayer Leverkusen.
The excitement continued to mount as Misri bounced back to equalise after the break through Amr El-Desouqi who took advantage of Ismaili's poor challenge in the air. The defender headed home a well-executed corner kick, bringing the match back to square one.
It was left to Fahim, a Zamalek cast-off, to score the winner from close range and win for his new club their third league crown following successes in 1967 and 1990. The win broke the lock Zamalek and Ahli had on the tournament, capturing the title 10 times between them since Ismaili's last celebrated.
In Cairo, Ahli took an early lead through their top marksman, Ahmed Belal, who fired home from close range past Ahmed Saber, only to see his goal cancelled out by a penalty kick by Haitham Hussein.
Ahli reclaimed the lead midway through the second half courtesy of a Mohamed Farouk strike before Belal, who sat out much of the first half of the season, sealed the victory to raise his final goal tally to an impressive 14, four behind the league's top scorer Hossam Hassan of Zamalek. By then, though, Ismaili had been pronounced the winner against Misri and Ahli players and supporters appeared uninterested in celebrating a win that eventually went for naught.
The match was marred by a bust-up between Ahli skipper Walid Salahedddin and teammate Ibrahim Said. Both were sent off in the dying minutes.
Ahli failed to clinch any of the season's domestic titles after being eliminated from the second round of the cup competition at the hands of little-fancied Ghazl Al-Suez.
Sources at the fabled Cairo side say Portuguese coach Manuel Jose, formerly at the helm of Benfica and Sporting Lisbon, has expressed a desire to leave despite two African triumphs after guiding the team to an elusive African Champions League title and the Africa Super Cup for the first time in their history.
Zamalek were ahead in the league competition until the 16th round before a shocking 4-3 home defeat against Ismaili saw them surrender their lead for good to the Dervishes.
Winning the title was the most appropriate farewell present Ismaili players could give coach Mohsen Saleh who is expected to take charge of the Egyptian national team, filling the post which has been vacant since February following the 2002 African Cup of Nations in Mali.
Qanah's coach Gamal Abdel-Hamid was in charge of Sohag until he was axed midway through the season to take the job at Qanah, thus contributing in having two teams relegated to the second division.
Mehalla tightened their grip on fourth place with a scoreless tie against Baladia, while Mansoura ended the season with a sound 4-2 away victory against Goldi which finished in seventh place with 31 points.

Mohsen Saleh, waves to the crowds in what was probably his last match as Ismaili coach

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