Ahly’s assistant coach Pedro believes the team’s chances to compete for this season’s Egyptian league title are still alive, despite of the 2-2 draw with El-Entag El-Harby on Friday. “We still have a strong chance to compete for the league summit,” the Portuguese coach said in the press conference after the match.
The Red Devils missed a precious chance of topping the league table, now neck and neck with arch rivals, Zamalek at 43 points, who will take on Arab Contractors on Saturday.
Pedro blames the anti-climatic results on the pressure his players were under and unfair decisions by the referee.
“The game was difficult, as our players were playing under heavy pressure. Despite regaining their confidence in the last 15 minutes, they had a lot of missed chances,” the coach explained.
“Also the referee awarded our opponents a penalty and deprived us from a clear one that might have changed the match result,” he added.
The title holders, Ahly, face a must-win situation in their coming matches if they want to keep the shield in the Red Castle.
“Winning all the coming matches is a must and we will consider them like finals,” he concluded.
Sayed Abdel-Hafiz clash with the referee
Eyewitnesses said after the match that Ahly’s football director Sayed Abdel-Hafiz indignantly pushed the referee, Mohamed Abdel Kader Morsi, with his hands.
Abdel-Hafiz accused Morsi of assaulting Ahlys’ fans as he was leaving the pitch and asked the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) officials to punish him.
On the other hand, Morsi, who was eager to complete the game without incident, despite being jeered heavily by fans, downplayed the matter, affirming that it was just a reproach with the football director.
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