CAIRO: Ahly assistant coach Hossam Al-Badri admitted that losing points in the early stages of the season could make his side’s task of winning the Egyptian League more difficult.
The Red Devils, who collected just four points in their first three matches, were held to a surprising goalless draw by nine-man Arab Contractors on Saturday.
The stuttering form alerted Ahly that their quest to win a fifth consecutive league title may not be as smooth as it used to be over the last few years.
“Losing points gives hopes to our competitors that they can mount a serious title challenge, Badri told the post-match press conference.
“It is no good to stutter in the early stages of the season, but I’m sure the players can bounce back quickly.
Al-Badri rued Ahly’s inability to convert their chances against Contractors, who fought hard to earn a precious draw.
“It is weird that we completely dominated the game but failed to score against nine men.
“The players hastily pushed forward to score the winner; they did not concentrate on how to finish off their attacks.
