After the shock
Heads rolled in the wake of Ahli's shocking loss of the football league title. Eric Asomugha reports on who's in charge now and profiles Zamalek, the team which conquered all
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Capral is up in arms moments after Zamalek won the league title. Right, Bonfrere, standing, as the crown slipped through his fingers
Tamer Abdel-Hamid powers his way past Ismaili in the final. Right, veteran striker Hossam Hassan acknowledges the cheers after Zamalek's historic victory
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The end of the premiership on Friday brought a new champion and some new faces to the team which finished as bridesmaid.
At the end of an emergency board meeting held the day after Ahli's stunning 1-0 loss to ENPPI which cost the club the league championship. Dutch coach Joe Bonfrere, team supervisor Tarek Selim and assistant coach Alaa Abdel-Sadek all tendered their resignations.
Board treasurer Mahmoud El-Khatib was assigned the task of supervising the team and had the challenging responsibility of appointing a new head coach along with his technical crew.
A new football committee was also formed, comprising Hassan Hamdi, president of the club, El-Khatib and Selim to run the club's football affairs. While El-Khatib will supervise the team together with coach Fathi Mabrouk, assistants Hossam El-Badri, Diaa El-Sayed and Ahmed Nagi will remain in their jobs until a final decision is reached concerning the new coach. There is mounting speculation that Ahli is negotiating with Croatian coach Strechco, currently at the helm of Ahli Dubai, one of a number of coaches linked to taking over Ahli next year.
Zamalek's immediate future looks infinitely brighter following their amazing come from behind league title victory on the last day of the championship. Brazilian coach Capral's contract was extended for two years after many months of reports that he was not staying but would instead move to one of the oil-rich clubs in the Gulf. Capral will get $100,000 just for signing on the dotted line. His monthly fee will now be. $16,000, not including bonuses for championship victories. Zamalek's board members unanimously agreed on extending Capral's term and for good reason. In just his first season as coach of Zamalek, he brought five titles to the club, including the African Champions League, the African Super Cup and now, the league.
Zamalek's players are also set to become richer. Each will get LE60,000 for snaring the league title, their second in three years.
The battle for the premiership title, the most popular sporting event in Egypt, began September last year and came to a climax last Friday in stupendous fashion.
For the second consecutive year the end was uncertain till the final whistle and for the second time Ahli came out the loser. Last season, the failure of Misri to beat or force Ismaili to a draw in the final match cost Ahli the title. This time the team was ousted at the hands of ENPPI, the oil company club making their debut in the premiership. Ahli had been leading the league from day one and in fact had set a local record for most consecutive victories in the first half of the season. They had gone into the final game leading second place Zamalek by two points, 66 to 64. Several scenarios would have given Ahli the title; at the least, had Ahli and Zamalek levelled on points, a tiebreaker game would have been played. Only one scenario -- an Ahli loss and Zamalek beating Ismaili -- would have given Zamalek the title outright and that is indeed what transpired.
For runners-up Ahli, who last won the league in the 1999- 2000 season, it was an unpleasant outcome that will go down in Egyptian football history as a day they were denied glory, with countless chances failing to be converted to a vital one goal.
In ENPPI's camp, the win meant a ticket to the inaugural CAF Confederation Cup competition next year.
The victors had been viewed as underdogs, at least by Ahli supporters, to be crushed only in a matter of minutes by Hadi Khashaba-led forces.
Ahli started the match on a quick note and was obviously trying to grab an early goal -- but with no structured game plan. Two chances from top league scorer Ahmed Bilal and Salah Hosni were hurriedly shot into the waiting hands of the keeper.
In the 31st minute, ENPPI did the damage. Winger Osama outplayed Rami Said down the left flank before crossing the ball to Abdel-Naeem whose header beat goalkeeper Essam El- Hadari high in the right hand corner.
Ahli dominated the entire second half with virtually every player searching, and losing, scoring chances. The worst offenders were Bilal, Mohamed Fadl and Angolan Gilberto. At the end, Bonfrere had no answer to talented coach Taha Basri's tactical game plan.
At the same time, Zamalek's slim hopes of winning the title took a giant leap forward when they beat Ismaili, the defending champions, 1-0. The winning goal came from Hossam Abdel-Moneim's beautiful header that went past Ismaili goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhi in the 54th minute. It was a well- deserved win in a game greatly dominated by Zamalek with a flurry of chances missed.
At the bottom of the table where another fierce battle raged, the Arab Contractors joined Goldi as the clubs who will exit the premiership and head for the first division.
Ittihad of Alexandria and Mansoura re-enacted last season's surprise to narrowly escape relegation, forcing the Contractors to follow Goldi and the loser of a play-off between Aswan and Sohag to a lower division.
In a situation greatly similar to the events at the top of the table, it took only 90 minutes to decide the unlucky teams. "What a sad way to end the season," a Contractor fan said bitterly. The Contractors were African champions in the mid- 1980s, making their fall from the premiership all the more surprising.
The Contractors 4-1 away loss to Baladia Al-Mehalla was the final blow to the club that never had it smooth throughout the season. Coach "Zizo" was the first coach to resign in the season immediately after a 6-2 home defeat by Ahli in week four, blaming poor performance of the players. The situation did not change despite the signing of Nigerian striker Ike Uzoma to beef up the team in the second round.
The fixtures of the final week: Zamalek 1, Ismaili 0; ENPPI 1, Ahli 0; Ittihad 1, Misri 0; the Border Guards 2, Mansoura 0; Baladia 4, Arab Contractors 1; Aswan 4, Goldi 2.
