CAIRO: After his team’s clinched the Egyptian Premier League title on Sunday, Ahly assistant coach Hossam Al-Badri dedicated the win to departing coach Manuel Jose.
A 1-0 win over Ismaili in the competition’s decider in Alexandria secured Ahly their 34th title, and their fifth under Jose, who will leave the club at the end of the season.
“Tonight is a great opportunity to thank Jose for everything he did for the club, Al-Badri said after the game.
The Portuguese tactician, who will take over the Angolan national side in June led Ahly to 19 competitions in total in his second stint with the Red Devils.
Ahly superstar Mohamed Abou-Trika was taken off in the second half, and Al-Badri said that the playmaker’s display was affected by the golden chance he missed before the interval.
“We felt that Abou-Trika lost a bit of confidence after failing to convert that first-half opportunity, Al-Badri considered.
“I don’t believe that he [Abou-Trika] was at his best today anyway.
Young striker Mohamed Talaat, who scored Ahly’s third against Gaish, impressed when he was introduced to replace Flavio Amado eight minutes from time.
“We couldn’t bring on Talaat any earlier. Big games like these need experienced players and we have to remember that the hitman is still very young.
“If Ismaili equalized we could have played extra-time and that’s why it was important to save some changes for the game’s later stages.
The Red Devils started the game with three holding midfielders: Moetaz Eno, Hossam Ashour and Ahmed Fathi. “It was very important to control the game’s pace right from the start. We weren’t concerned about attacking early on as much as we wanted to impose our style.
“Nonetheless, Ahmed Fathi was given a free role, and he almost scored from midfield, Al-Badri considered.
