Pitch battles
League football week 20 saw riots in Ismailia, writes Eric Asomugha
Just four days after Ahli and Zamalek, the two league rivals, drew against weaker opposition, week 20 matches were decided in convincing fashion. The main attraction was the much-dreaded match, for Ahli at least, with host Ismaili. Ismaili was out to avenge the away 1-0 loss to Ahli in week seven in addition to a 1-1 draw with Mansoura last week which put a dent in their hopes to repeat as champions.
Ismaili did what they do best but Ahli won 1-0 through Ahmed Salah Hosni's 73rd minute strike, his third goal in as many games for his new squad.
Now eight points ahead of Zamalek which has a game in hand and after a brilliant performance which put Ahli within striking distance of the premiership crown for the first time in two years, it was not strange to see Ahli officials and players rush onto the pitch and hug each other as if they had just won the crown. It was also the first time for Ahli's managing director Tareq Selim to be seen smiling and mingling with the players after his decision last week to freeze all player bonuses and rewards until the end of the season, with no exception, following an unexpected 1-1 draw with Mehalla at Cairo Stadium the week before.
But what was really strange was the crowd trouble after referee Reda El- Beltagui whistled to conclude the game. Essam El-Hadari, Ahli's goalkeeper, started dancing a jig with Ahli supporters in the stands to celebrate the victory. The scene angered Ismaili fans who then rushed to the stadium in an attempted assault on Ahli players, especially El-Hadari. One man rushed towards El-Hadari and might have reached him had not Ahmed Nagui, Ahli's goalkeeper coach, literally carried his man into the dressing room.
Other spectators poured out of the stadium onto the streets, smashing all cars carrying Cairo licence plates. Police arrested 41 people. The referee left the pitch guarded by the police while other Ismaili fans remained on the field, refusing to leave unless the club's officials promised to fire the Yugoslav head coach Maximovitch.
Hours later, their wish was granted. Ismaili club officials held an urgent meeting to discuss the defeat, the first against Ahli on home soil in four years. Maximovitch was sacked and former national team and Ismaili captain Ali Abou- Greisha took over together with Mahmoud Gaber and Fawzi Gamal as assistants. Maximovitch will remain as coach of the Ismaili juniors because his contract had not yet expired.
Despite the loss, Ismaili remained in third place with 38 points.
With the win, Ahli collected their 54th point, while Zamalek are on 45 after drawing 1-1 at home to the Coast Guards in another appalling encounter. The Coast Guards, newly promoted to the premiership, had inflicted the only defeat on Zamalek this year.
On Saturday, Hossam Hassan, Zamalek's 37-year-old striker, was playing his first game for the club since 28 December after a falling out with Brazilian coach Carlos Capral.
But after the draw and in another demonstration of spectator rage, Zamalek fans called for Capral to be replaced for having sidelined Hassan for so long. After the game, some even tried to attack Hassan's replacement, Gamal Hamza.
Capral said the fans and some club officials had quickly forgot the three major titles the squad had picked up in six months, including the African Champions League. FIFA, in fact, listed Zamalek as the best team in the world in February.
The Coast Guards took sole possession of fourth place which gives them the possibility of participating in an African championship next season.
Tersana, which lost 3-0 to host Baladia in week 19, remained in eighth place with 26 points. The 1-0 shock defeat of visiting Baladia in week 20 was Aswan's first victory since the commencement of the season.
Other fixtures: Aswan vs Baladia 1-0, Tersana vs Enppi 0-0, Misri vs Mansoura 1-1. Next week will see Mansoura/Zamalek, Baladia/Ittihad, the Arab Contractors/Ismaili, Enppi/Aswan, Goldi/Mehalla, the Coast Guards/ Tersana and Ahli/Misri.
C a p t i o n : As riot police look on, smoke rises from gutted cars in front of Ismailia Stadium
Al-Ahram Weekly Online : 13 - 19 March 2003 (Issue No. 629)
Located at: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2003/629/sp1.htm