Ahli's net gain

AHLI's volleyball team blanked Zamalek 3-0 to retain the cup for the second year running, writes Abeer Anwar.

Although Zamalek, winner of the 2002 league title, were unbeaten on the road to the cup final, the team appeared out of sorts when it counted the most.

At the Port Said indoor hall on Friday, Ahli took the first set 25-15. A much tighter second set could have gone Zamalek's way but the club paid the price for making costly errors, going down 25-23. In set three, Ahli depended on its old guard, Hamdi El-Safi and Maged Mustafa to march ahead. And weak blocking and poor receptions led to Zamalek's demise 25-21 as they were toppled in straight sets.

"I knew that new faces, together with the veterans, were the best armour against Zamalek," Ahli coach Fouad Abdel-Salam said. "My players did their best and had more determination."

Zamalek coach Gaber Abdel-'Ati attributed his team's loss to some of his best players having an off day. "Mahmoud Abdel-Aziz and Nehad Shehata played very strangely. They lost their ability to attack," Abdel-'Ati said. "We deserve to lose. Our players surrendered easily especially after losing the second set."

Egypt's coach Abdel-Hamid El-Wessami was in the stands to see who might be chosen for an international championship in Greece on 28 April as part of the team's preparations for the African Championships in October.