Staying put, lying low
Ahli remained on course to win the league football title while Ittihad might not be around much longer. Eric Asomugha reports
Ahli showed no sign of slowing down in their quest to lift the league title after a two-year absence even though they had to wait for the second half before securing three crucial points against Misri of Port Said in Cairo Stadium.
A missed penalty by Mohamed Gouda and a disallowed goal by Ahmed Salah Hosni, which was ruled offside in the first half, did not deter the league leaders from aggressively attacking the visitors in search of a win.
An estimated 59,000 Ahli supporters exploded in celebration when Gilberto's good ball control found Hosni, who wasted no time in netting in the opener in the 58th minute. In the 32nd minute, Yasser Radwan added another goal, a long- range shot which should have been held by the keeper, to seal the victory with just five matches left.
Hosni has become an admirable replacement for the injured Ahmed Bilal, the league's top goal getter. Since his arrival from Ghent of Belgium, Hosni has scored four goals in as many games for Ahli.
The win, which gave Ahli 57 points to maintain their eight-point lead over second place Zamalek, which have a game in hand, was likely to overshadow a reported LE10,000 fine imposed on the club after the disgraceful events of a week earlier in Ismaili. The federation was reported to have also imposed a fine of LE20,000 on Ismaili and will ban their fans from witnessing this week's match. The measures were taken after Ismaili supporters ran amuck in their city's streets, setting cars and shops ablaze, following a 1-0 loss to Ahli.
Zamalek was forced to wait until the 78th minute of the second half before edging hosts Mansoura 1-0 in a display of unentertaining football from a team contesting for the title. The goal came from Gamal Hamza who slotted the ball home after collecting a through pass from Abdel-Halim Ali. Earlier, Hossam Hassan missed two golden opportunities to put Zamalek ahead.
The two league rivals, Ahli and Zamalek, will meet on 4 April when the league resumes, in a match that many say will eventually determine the league winner. The first round match between the rivals ended in a 2-2 draw.
The biggest shock of the week was the 2-0 defeat of Baladiya at home to Ittihad of Alexandria, a team struggling to escape relegation. It was the second consecutive defeat for Baladiya suffered at the hands of underdogs. The first was a 1-0 loss to Aswan which gave the Upper Egypt club their first three points of the season.
Baladiya, who have former Zamalek mid-field star Farouk Gaafar as a new coach, now have 25 points and are in ninth place in the 14-team table. Despite the victory, Ittihad are in 12th place with 19 points. If the league were to wind up today, Ittihad would be no more than a footnote.
Ismaili put behind them the fracas, hoping to beat the Arab Contractors in Cairo. At the end of 90 minutes, the game ended goalless after both teams failed to capitalise on each others' errors.
Ismaili are third in the league table with 39 points. The Border Guards are in fourth with 34 points after thrashing Tersana 6-2. Enppi trails with 32 points after a 2-0 win over visiting Aswan, while Goldi played to a 1-1 at home against Mehalla.
The following is the schedule of matches for week 22: Baladiya take on Enppi, Tersana face Mansoura, Ismaili clash with Goldi, Aswan meet the Border Guards, Misri play the Arab Contractors, Ittihad against Mehalla and Zamalek and Ahli.
