Calling it quits
Some coaches thought it best to leave their jobs at the end of week 12 of the football league. Mohamed El-Sayed reports
The 12th week of the football league produced little in the way of changes in the table but there were a couple of changes at the top; the coaches of Koroum and Ittihad resigned.
In Cairo, defending champions and current leaders Zamalek were involved in a hard-fought 3-2 win against Ittihad of Alexandria. Having been held to a 1-1 draw in their last two encounters, Zamalek were determined to stop the slide against a dogged Alexandrian opposition who were aspiring for second place. The win gave Zamalek 32 points, nine ahead of second place Enppi, Ismaili and Ghazl Al-Mehalla respectively. Ittihad are in seventh with 20 points.
In the first half Sameh Youssef failed to put Zamalek ahead, wasting a penalty kick in the 39th minute. Nader El-Sayed's save from the spot was his only achievement in the game, being responsible for the three goals.
The second half exploded with five goals. The Alexandrian squad scored the opener in the eighth minute via Tshirno. It was the first time this season that Zamalek had been scored upon first.
But that was Zamalek's cue for an uprising. They punished the visitors with three goals via Mohamed Seddiq (75), Abdel-Halim Ali (79) and Gamal Hamza (91).
It was the right winger Islam El-Shater, the new import from Ismaili who was playing his first league match in the white jersey, who produced the passes that led to the first and third goals. Still, the White House administration decided to loan El-Shater to Ittihad Jeddah of Saudi Arabia for four months for $125,000.
In the 95th minute, Tshirno netted a consolation, face-saving goal for the visitors. Tshirno, Abdel-Latif El-Domani of Ghazl Al-Mehalla and Ahmed Bilal of Ahli top the list of goal-scorers with eight each.
Zamalek's defence was profoundly influenced by the absence of rebellious third back Wa'el El-Qabbani who is now subject to an investigation after failing to join the team in last week's match against Esperance of Tunisia in the Arab Champions League.
Following the match, Mohamed Omar, head coach of Ittihad, announced his resignation "because of the club's inability to pay the players".
In Alexandria, Ahli continued to improve, edging bottom-of- the-table Koroum 2-0.
Returning head coach Manuel Jose's mark was apparent in the high-quality style of the Cairene squad following a horrendous start. Jose has yet to lose a match since taking over at the start of the year. From match to match the "magician Jose", as the red supporters have nicknamed him, is proving that it was a fatal mistake when the club let him go two years ago. Jose's comeback inspired one Ahli fan to parade a huge banner in the stands: "My love has returned and the six-goal win [over Zamalek two years ago] will also come back."
Spurred on by their supporters, who have slowly begun to creep back to the stadium, it was clear that Ahli's new signings have had an immediate impact, except perhaps for the Brazilian LE850,000 import Gilberson. Having wasted several easy chances, the Brazilian's performance has been unconvincing in the three games he has played, a matter that has made Ahli fans doubt his Brazilian nationality.
Eighteen minutes after kick-off, Ahli's Mohamed Shawqi sent a delicious volley into the home side's danger area for Ahmed Radwan. The latter provided a pass invitingly for unmarked Wa'el Gomaa to net the opener.
Spurred on by the news that their arch foes Zamalek, playing at the same time, had conceded a goal to Ittihad in Cairo, the Red Devils -- actually they were wearing blue jerseys in deference to the red of the host team -- extended their lead in the 68th minute via a penalty kick by Bilal.
After the game and despite the refusal of the club's board, head coach of Koroum Salah El-Nahi insisted on submitting his resignation to "give way to new leadership". El-Nahi has been around far longer than most coaches can ever hope for, having led the team since their first appearance in the Premiership in 1990.
Hossam El-Badri, Jose's assistant, said, "the race for the title depends not only on us. We also depend on others."
In Ismailia, the Dervishes kept their hopes of challenging for a fourth title afloat after they managed a last-minute win over countrymen Qanah. With two matches in hand, Ismaili are now in second place with 23 points, while Qanah are 13th.
Before the kick-off, a minute of silence was observed to pay tribute to Ismaili's Ibrahim El-Haggan, the oldest administrator in Egyptian football, who died last week.
Playing with a line-up consisting mainly of U-19s, the best African and Arab team in 2003 could not translate the several chances that came their way.
Having done without the services of seven key players during the transfer period in January, the club's board surprised observers with the news of yet another departure, of veteran Emad El-Nahhas, for Al-Nasr of Saudi Arabia for $100,000.
While the Dervishes' supporters were on their way home, midfielder Mohamed Hommos launched a left-foot drive from the edge of the penalty area, netting the winner in the 92nd minute.
In Tersana Stadium, the Hammers were dealt a crushing 3-0 defeat on their home turf at the hands of the oil company Enppi who are now in second place with 23 points.
The visitors sealed the game in the first half, netting the ball three times via Amr Zaki (10 & 38) and Adel Fathi (46). Referee Samir Mahmoud showed the red card three times to Ahmed Hassan and Haitham Farouk (Tersana) and Mo'taz Hamed (Enppi).
In Mehalla, Abdel-Latif El-Domani revived the Farmers' hopes of challenging for their second title, netting the winner against the Coastal Guards in the 42nd minute.
Ghazl Al-Mehalla are now in fourth place with 23 points.
In Mansoura, eighth-place Misri of Port Said suffered an unexpected 2-1 defeat at the hands of 11th place Mansoura.
Misri's Farouk Gaafar, "the flying coach" as he has become to be known -- Gaafar has coached six teams in the last two seasons -- vowed to inflict "financial punishment" on his players.
Two players from Misri and one from the home side were sent off.
The Upper Egyptian team Aswan snatched their third victory this season, beating Lower Egyptian Baladiyet Al- Mehalla 2-0 in Aswan. Aswan are now in 10th place with 12 points, while Mehalla are 12th with eight points.
