Arab restart
The Arab Champions League travelling show resumed after a lengthy layoff. Mohamed El-Sayed reports
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Zamalek's Gamal Hamza goes around a fallen Algerian from Ittihad Beleida. Hommos of Ismaili, right, outruns another Algerian, from Nasr Hussein-Dey
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After a 45-day hiatus, the Arab football Champions League resumed last week with matches that involved three Egyptian squads in the last- 16 stage.
In Group A, Zamalek of Egypt failed to extend their group lead, drawing 1-1 with Ittihad Beleida of Algeria in Cairo. The tie gave Zamalek seven points from the draw and two wins over Sfax and Esperance of Tunisia.
Zamalek, who top the Egyptian national league, were expected to crush the Algerian opposition in Cairo. Instead, the Egyptians gave one of their worst performances this season, in fact escaping a loss to the Algerian side which came to Cairo with only one point from a home 2-2 draw with Sfax of Tunisia. They lost away 2-1 to Esperance.
Ittihad Beleida could have garnered the three points of the game if it was not for Zamalek's brilliant goalkeeper Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed, the only in-form player in the whites' lineup, who made a series of face-saving, fine saves.
The dismal performance by the Egyptians could be attributed to the absence of three key players in defence -- Medhat Abdel-Hadi, Beshir El-Tabaai and Wa'el El-Qabbani to injury and a ban. Replacements Mohamed Seddiq, Shaaban Mahmoud and Wa'el Inou were playing together for the first time, affecting cohesion and leaving the defence in tatters. The midfielders, too, did not duly undertake their defending roles and so allowed the Algerians to launch dangerous counterattacks.
After a defensive-minded first half the game turned fast-paced. Algerian Kharzouni Mohamed sent a header that hit the woodwork. That was Zamalek's cue for the opener in the 55th minute when Sameh Youssef, playing his first season with Zamalek, was released with a lovely through pass from Tarek El-Said and then sent it past hapless goalkeeper Al- Hammadi.
In the following 10 minutes the Algerians came face-to-face with Zamalek's goalkeeper three times but failed each time.
Seven minutes from the end the Algerians were rewarded for their relentless efforts as they hit a late, well-deserved equaliser via Wessi Ismail who sent a brilliant backward into the net.
Two minutes before the end, Baadash could have fired the Algerians ahead but El-Sayed, the man of the game, saved the shot and Zamalek from sure defeat.
In the same group, Esperance of Tunisia edged their countrymen Sfax 1-0 with a 43rd-minute goal by Ali El-Zaitouni. Gathering six points from their three encounters, the Blood and Gold team now lie in second place, one point behind Zamalek. Sfax are in the bottom of the table with only one draw with Beleida.
In Group B, Ahli of Egypt were held to a goalless draw with Etoile of Tunisia in a half-hearted encounter in the Olympic Stadium in the Tunisian coastal town of Sousse.
Ahli, who lie at the bottom of the table with just one point garnered from a home 1-1 draw with Algerian Nasr Hussein-Dey, were hopeful of returning on track under the leadership of their somewhat new Portuguese head coach Manuel Jose, who returned to the club after leaving them two years ago.
Except for the last 10 minutes in the first half during which Ahmed Bilal frittered away his team's only scoring chance in the 34th minute, the Red Devils kept defending throughout the game as Jose played with 5-3-2 format to secure a draw at the start of his latest tenure.
In the second half, the Tunisians built up pressure and did much of the attacking. Fearful of conceding a goal that could shatter their slim chance of qualifying from the group, the Egyptians preferred to stick to their defence till the end.
"We were in a difficult situation because the players have not played for six weeks, in addition to the cold in Sousse," said Jose. "I paid special attention to the defenders throughout the past period, so we succeeded in restraining [midfielder Zubair] Baiyya who represents 70 per cent of his team's strength."
The draw kept Ahli's hopes of qualifying for the quarter-finals alive as they still have two home matches in hand in addition to a third away against Hussein-Dey.
The following day, on Thursday, Ismaili of Egypt bounced back from their shock loss in the final of the African Champions League, edging Nasr Hussein-Dey of Algeria 1-0 in a fast-paced game in Ismailia in the same group.
Ismaili, who last week were selected by CAF the best African team in 2003, appeared little affected by their loss of the most prestigious African club football title, providing full value to the half-filled seats.
In an attempt to establish a new tradition, international referee Ali Bogasim of the Emirates presented the captains of both teams a small token gift before kick-off, perhaps wanting to minimise protests against his calls.
Despite playing with a lineup of mainly juniors, Ismaili managed to dominate throughout, creating most of the scoring opportunities. They imposed their style on the Algerians thanks to their insistence on sticking to a defensive approach to the game.
Hosni Abd-Rabbo, who was selected on the all-star world youth team after his performance in the World Youth Championship last month in the Emirates, put his signature on almost every pass provided to his partners in the forward line.
The Algerians did not get past midfield for the first 15 minutes, allowing the Egyptian side to pose constant danger to their goal. In the 33rd minute, stopper Mohamed Younis headed home a curling cross provided by Abdallah from the right flank. Scoring his third goal in his career, Younis was received with open arms by his German coach Theo Bucker on the sidelines.
Yacef Hamza of Hussein-Dey did not make the Egyptian defence feel comfortable throughout the game, so active was he that Bucker urged that he go to Ismaili during the transfer period this month.
In the 80th minute, Eleish Samir of Hussein- Dey forced Ismaili fans to their feet when he delivered a header towards the far upright of goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhi, but Sobhi made a wonderful diving save, denying the Algerians an equaliser.
"We badly needed this win to recover the morale of the players and supporters as well," said Bucker.
In the Asian-Arab division of the championship, Hilal of Saudi Arabia topped Group A with four points after drawing 1-1 with countrymen Ahli, who have four points as well but are in second due to goal average. Having suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat by Hilal in the first round, Zawraa of Iraq are in third place with three points after upstaging Wahadat of Jordan 3-0. Defeated 1-0 by Ahli in the first round, Wahadat lie at the bottom of the table with no points.
In Group B, Iraqi Talaba are at the head of the table after beating Kuwait of Kuwait 2-1. Ittihad of Saudi Arabia and Faisali of Jordan were held to a goalless draw in Amman.
