Within sight

Ahli are gaining fast on their second consecutive football league trophy. Inas Mazhar reports

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Above: Hossam Hassan of Misri (centre) loses the ball to Ahli's defenders. Mustafa, left, rejoices after scoring

Despite a lacklustre game, Ahli managed to add three more points to their league-leading tally by beating Misri of Port Said 2-0 in Port Said. Midfielder Hassan Mustafa scored twice in the second half to give his team 53 points, seven ahead of arch-rivals Zamalek. Ahli still have a game in hand against Cement Assiut. Zamalek have six games left, Ahli seven.

Misri remain with 20 points, too close for comfort to the relegation zone.

Referee Essam Abdel-Fatah, who was selected by FIFA for the 2006 World Cup, only one of two African referees to be going to Germany, did a good job in the wake of severe criticism of recent officiating.

Abdel-Fatah, an officer in the army, showed his military toughness by banning Ahli club head coach Manuel Jose from the sidelines after Jose's constant objections.

Tempers flared when Ahli's Angolan import Flavio was shown the yellow card, which will deprive him from participating in Ahli's next game.

But Flavio's absence is probably relief for Ahli supporters who have yet to understand why the centre forward plays almost every game despite scoring just one goal all season.

Abdel-Fatah's performance failed to dampen the war of words between spectators and the head of the referees' committee, former international referee Gamal El-Ghandour. The dispute is making headlines and has been aired on several satellite channels.

Harras Al-Hedod are now fourth in the standings after beating Ismail 2-1 in Ismailia. The goals were scored by Gilberson and Abdel-Hamdi Bassiuoni in the second half. Ismaili's only goal was scored two minutes into injury time by Abdullah El-Sayed. Harras Al-Hedod have 32 points while Ismaili 26.

HASSAN INVITED: The Egyptian Football Association has said that the organising committee of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa has invited Egypt's football team captain Hossam Hassan to participate in a ceremony that will unveil the World Cup's mascot. The ceremony will take place in Berlin, Germany.

The EFA also announced that an international friendly between African champions Egypt and European champions Greece will take place in Cairo in February 2007 to mark the golden jubilee of the African Football Confederation.

MANSOUR BACK: Mortada Mansour has returned to Zamalek club as its president but a final decision has yet to be taken.

Mansour returned Tuesday to his former post, together with several members of the former board.

Hassan Sakr, head of the National Sports Council, had received the verdict of the Administrative Court which allows Mansour and his board members to return to the club after being forced to relinquish their posts three months ago.

Sakr said the council had appealed to the Higher Administrative Court to have the verdict repealed. The court will take a final decision on 23 April.

Before his tenure ended last year, the then Minister of Youth Memdouh El-Beltagui had authorised a new Zamalek president to take Mansour's place in the wake of violence in the club instigated by Mansour. The new president, Moursi Attalluh, was mandated to head the club until the end of the year.

However, a court last week overruled El-Beltagui's decision, declaring it null and void. Sakr's statements came during a meeting at the People's Assembly. The Youth and Sports committee had called Sakr earlier this week to answer 19 questions by PA members on Mansour invading the club after last week's verdict was announced and taking "strange and dangerous actions" in the club in the absence of National Sports Councils officials. The members also asked that the position of the appointed board members be maintained and called for an urgent general assembly and new elections within three months.

GERMANS WIND UP VISIT: This afternoon, the German women's football team TSV Ludwigsburg meets the Cairo women's soccer squad in Heliopolis club. The game is the last activity by the visitors, who arrived in Egypt on Monday.

The German Goethe Institute in Egypt organised the occasion together with the Egyptian Football Association. The four-day event started Monday when the German team played the Alexandria women's team in Alexandria Stadium in a match attended by high-ranking officials of the governorate.

On Tuesday morning, a press conference was held at the headquarters of the association, with former German team head coach Tina Theune-Meyer as guest of honour. Theune-Meyer had led her team to the 2003 Women's World Cup, a victory that earned her an international award from the International Olympic Committee in 2004.

EFA board member Sahar El-Hawari, who is also head of the women's football committee in the EFA as well as a member of FIFA's women's football committee, attended the conference. El-Hawari had received a similar award from the IOC two years ago in Morocco.

During the conference, distinguished guests who included the wife of the German ambassador, Johannes Ebert, regional manager of the Goethe institutes in North Africa and the Middle East, and EFA President Samir Zaher, witnessed the drawing of lots for the first official Arab women's football championship. The 10-day event will take place in Alexandria from 19 to 29 April. Seven teams are taking part. The Arab Africans are represented by Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt while Asian Arabs are represented by Syria, Lebanon and Palestine.

On Tuesday afternoon, Theune-Meyer held a joint training session for the German club TSV Ludwigsburg and the Cairo team at the AC Milan Club in Obour city east of Cairo.