Al-Ahram Weekly | Sports | Privileged few

		26 Sept. - 2 October 2002 Issue No. 605 Sports	Current issue Previous issue Site map
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875		Recommend this page

Privileged few

The 46th edition of the National Football League kicked off on Monday. Twelve teams are battling for the title but if history is anything to go by, only a handful need bother to even think about the crown.
Only seven teams have ever captured the title in its 54-year-old history. Ahli lead the pack, having collected 29 trophies, followed by Zamalek with nine.
Ismaili has three titles while Olympi, Tersana, Mehalla and the Arab Contractors are exclusive club members with one a piece.
Begun in 1948, the competition, the oldest in the Arab world, was suspended nine times. Among the reasons: in 1951, to prepare the national team for the Olympic Games in Helsinki; in 1971, following violent riots that occurred in an Ahli-Zamalek clash; and in 1989, again to get ready, upon the request of national team manager Mahmoud El-Gohari after Egypt qualified for the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
El-Sayed El-Dezwei was the first Egyptian to win the title of league's top scorer, this in the 1948-49 season. He then played for Misri and moved to Ahli wHere he won the title three more times. El-Dezwei, who died in 1993, holds the Egyptian career record of 117 goals. Veteran Zamalek striker Hossam Hassan, 38, was the top scorer last season with 18 goals.
For the first time in memory, only two foreign coaches, compared to 12 Egyptians, have been hired for one season: Ahli's Jo Bonfrere of Holland and Zamalek's Capral of Brazil. The reduction in coaches from abroad was partly due to clubs finding them not affordable and the confidence that clubs started showing in homegrown talent.
Two men will be making their debuts as coaches. Mokhtar Mokhtar, an assistant coach at Ahli, was promoted to the top job at Ghazl Mehalla. Mokhtar's debut was marred by Mehalla's ouster from the African Cup Winners Cup. And rookie coach Ghanem Sultan will be tested with Aswan.
Adel Teima returns to Baladiyet Mehalla after a two-year absence.
Four coaches had their contracts renewed following impressive results last season. Anwar Salama stays with Misri, Mohamed Salah remains at Goldi, Mansoura would not part with Hassan Megahed and Talaat Youssef continues with Ittihad.
Some coaches and teams are meeting for the first time: Abdel-Aziz Abdel- Shafei with the Arab Contractors, Abdel-Halim El-Hamalawi at Tersana and Taha Basri will be introduced to Enpi. Helmi Toulan leaves Zamalek for newcomers Sawahel.
The pressure on coaches is great but journeyman Farouk Gaafar will go down for special scrutiny. Gaafar will be demanded by rabid fans to emulate Mohsen Saleh, former head coach of league champions Ismaili. Saleh stepped down to take over the national team.

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