Half Egyptian

Ismaili and Zamalek made it to the semi-finals of the Arab Champions League, writes Mohamed El-Sayed

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Ismaili and Zamalek of Egypt booked two tickets to the semi-final of the Arab Champions League after qualifying from the last-eight stage in Arab football's richest championship. Both teams came in second place in their groups after crushing their opposition in the last match of the group stage.

In the coastal city of Ismailia, Ismaili defeated Ahli Jeddah of Saudi Arabia 1-0 in a tough, fast-paced encounter. Before the match, the Dervishes had five points, two points behind the Saudi side. Thus they had no alternative but to win to qualify for the semis.

Ismailia Stadium was packed with more than 20,000 fervent supporters who refused to stay home to watch the Euro 2004 showpiece match between England and France.

Despite the several golden chances that came the way of the Dervishes in the first half, the Saudi side had the most dangerous opportunities. In the 13th minute Saudi international Hussein Abdul-Ghani fired a left footer that hit the woodwork.

In the 30th minute a shot by Talal Al-Mishaal, the man of the match, hit the crossbar and clearly crossed the goal line, then landed in the hands of goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhi. However, neither the UAE referee Farid Ali nor his assistant called it a goal. The coaching staff and the few number of the supporters of the Saudi side were beside themselves.

Ten minutes after restart, Ali handed the home side a penalty kick after Abdul-Ghani handled. After five minutes of protests from the Saudis, cool-blooded Hosni Abd-Rabbo netted the ball to the right of the keeper, sparking off emotional scenes in the stands and on the sidelines.

For the following 35 minutes, all were kept on their feet till the final whistle. Al-Mishaal sent a header in the dying seconds that passed inches beside the right post. No sooner had the referee blown his whistle than supporters poured onto the pitch, carrying the young players and their German head coach Theo Bucker. Many toured the streets of the city, not quite believing that their team had made it to the semis of the first- year championship.

"It is a miracle that we won in light of the tough circumstances we went through in the last period," said Bucker following the match. "I'm very proud of the young players for they displayed a rare fighting spirit and an insistence on winning."

On the semi-final with Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia, Bucker said he was not concerned. "We will continue our supremacy over the Saudi teams."

Tarek Al-Kayyal, a member of the board of Ahli, expressed his anger with the referee. "He was unfair towards our team. He denied us an obvious goal by Al- Mishaal. However, congratulations to Ismaili. I think they will win this championship."

In Cairo, Zamalek, the other Egyptian semi-finalist, edged Talaba of Iraq 2-0 in the last match of Group B, finishing second behind Hilal. Zamalek will meet Sfax of Tunisia, leaders of Group A, in the semi-final. Sfax had already qualified after collecting nine points before meeting the out-of-competition Ittihad Jeddah of Saudi Arabia.

Zamalek's game was sealed in the first half: Gamal Hamza hit a wonderful double-kick in the 13th minute before Beshir El-Tabaei extended the lead in the 26th minute from a penalty kick.

"All what I cared about was qualifying for the semis," Vingada, Zamalek's Portuguese head coach, said. "I do not care about the team we are going to meet for they are all the same to me."

Thaer Ahmed, head coach of the Iraqi team, said Zamalek won thanks to their players' long experience. "They capitalised on the only two chances that came their way and snatched the victory," Ahmed said.

The Arab Football Federation will meet next week to determine how the semi-finals will be played and where. It is possible that only two semi-finals will be held among the four remaining clubs. They could be played in a neutral venue, perhaps in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.