Drama guaranteed
The one remaining football game to be played in the local tournament will decide who wins the league and who leaves it. Eric Asomugha reports
And then there was one.
One more match needs to be played before the winner of the 2003 football season can be named. It has gone down to the wire following penultimate scores on Monday which maintained the status quo. League leaders Ahli held on for dear life to defeat Baladia Al-Mehalla 1-0 and push their points total to 66.
Second place Zamalek remained where they are, two points behind their storied rivals even though they thrashed Ghazl Al-Mehalla in Mehalla 3-0.
Two league matches within a week at this crucial stage took its toll on all the clubs as both the title race and the battle to escape relegation intensified. Signs of fatigue were clearly visible on Monday, following Wednesday's games. The federation's strategy is to round up the league season before a crucial African Nations Cup qualifier in June.
The outcome of the Ahli and Zamalek encounters failed to produce outright the league champions fans were expecting, leaving it to be decided on 23 May.
Rather, the real excitement was witnessed at the bottom of the table where clubs fought fiercely to escape relegation. Ittihad and Mansoura seem to be on course to re-enact last season's performance, escaping relegation at the 11th hour. However, the situation at the bottom for other clubs remains dicey.
An away draw with Baladia and a 2-1 defeat of ENPPI elevated Mansoura from 26 to 29 points. Unpredictable Ittihad of Alexandria, proving bookmakers wrong, produced a shocking result by garnering six points in two straight wins. The Alexandria-based club played the most stunning match of the season, beating defending champions Ismaili 4-1 in week 24 before upsetting the Border Guards whose chances of a continental berth now hangs in the balance.
Ahli played lethargically against Baladia but managed to squeak by thanks to a spot kick converted by the league's top scorer Ahmed Belal in the 19th minute to increase his tally to 19 goals.
The league leaders' performance was far from the display they showed in the 5-0 trashing of Aswan a week earlier. Lacking in serious attacking sprees from both teams, the game concentrated much in midfield with Ahli having greater ball possession. Few opportunities were missed including Belal's clever shot stopped by the woodwork towards the end of the first half.
After the break, Baladia almost turned the game around with an improved performance. About 10 minutes gone, Baladia's good coordination to level was wasted by Johnson who shot inches wide in front of Essam El-Hadari.
With pressure piling up and Ahli coach Jo Bonfrere nervously screaming instructions from the bench, Mohamed Gouda, Sayed Abdel-Hafiz and Mohamed Fadl were injected to stem the tide. The changes did little to propel Ahli into action as they managed to escape unscathed at the end of 90 minutes.
Despite a cheering crowd to frustrate the opponent, Mehalla lost to visiting Zamalek 3-0 in a match that produced two red cards, one for each side.
Zamalek silenced the crowd as early as the 10th minute after Mohamed Abdel-Wahed's opening strike. Mehalla fought fiercely for the equaliser but their spirited performance waned following two more goals by Gamal Hamza and Mohamed Sedik.
Ismaili, in third place, gained three points from a 3-2 home win against Misri to increase their tally to 46 points. ENPPI's 2-1 away defeat by Mansoura still kept them in fourth place. The Border Guards trail by one point and are in fifth place with 38 points.
Misri is sixth with 33 points, Mehalla 31 points and Mansoura 29 points. The Arab Contractors, Baladia and Ittihad share 28 points apiece.
Aswan still occupies last place with six points, followed by Goldi with 16 points after defeating visiting Tersana 2-1. The upset pushed Tersana down to third position from the bottom and on the verge of being relegated to division two.
The final league matches will be played on Friday, 23 May. During the one-week layoff four of Egypt's clubs will be playing in African club championships. The following fixtures are: Misri / Ittihad; Zamalek / Ismaili; Tersana / Mehalla; Aswan / Goldi; Baladia / Arab Contractors; ENPPI / Ahli; Border Guards / Mansoura
