CAIRO - Egypt's Zamalek technical coach Hassan Shehata said that his team's performance against Tanzania's Young Africans in the round of 64 in the African Champions League (ACL) was not inspiring and satisfactory, although qualifying for the round of 32 is the most important thing. "This is the most important thing for us, given the country's difficult circumstances," added Shehata after the game, pointing out that his team's performance disappointed the coaching staff and the fans. The White Knights defeated the Young Africans of Tanzania 1-0 in the second leg of the round of 64 of the ACL, last Saturday, thanks to a header from striker Ahmed Hossam 'Mido'. The match, played behind closed doors at the Military Stadium in Cairo, was the first official one since the Port Said tragedy. Egyptian giants Zamalek were held to a 1-1 draw by the Young Africans of Tanzania in the first leg in Dar es Salaam, thanks to a goal from the Young Africans' Hamis Kiiza; Amr Zaki equalised for the White Knights. "The indefinite postponement of Egypt's Premier League, with most clubs stopping their sporting activities indefinitely, as a result of the Port Said tragedy, has made the players slack and lax," Shehata commented. The 62-year-old coach pointed out that friendlies are not enough for the team to prepare for such an African game, because they lack the enthusiasm and gusto of official League games," he said. According to Shehata, the ex-Egypt technical coach, the team went into the game with many problems, not just injuries, but also the fact that the players are still upset about the Port Said tragedy. “The players underestimated the match and felt that they could win easily,” he commented. On Wednesday February 1, in Port Said, a match between Al-Masry and Al-Ahly turned violent, claiming the lives of at least 74 Al-Ahly fans and injuring around 1,000 more. Seconds after the final whistle, thousands of supporters of Port Said team Al-Masry invaded the pitch, hurling bottles and rocks at the fans of Cairo's Al-Ahly. Zamalek, the five-time African champions, will now face Africa Sports of Côte d'Ivoire in the round of the 32 in the tournament. The first leg will be held in Cairo on March 25 and the second leg a fortnight after that in Côte d'Ivoire. Concerning the return of the Egyptian Premier League, Shehata said this decision will be easier said than done. "Resuming the local league will be a very difficult decision, as there are many things that must be first resolved in the near future before we can think of this," the talented coach explained. "Among the things that must be determined are the destiny of the Port Said Stadium and the fate of Al-Masry Club. Besides how can we resume the Premier League, if there's not enough time to squeeze in all the fixtures?" The postponement of Egypt's Premier League and the suspension of all sports competitions nationwide, as well declaring a state of mourning, have been cause for much debate. According to soccer experts, the calling off of the local competition could prove the downfall of the Egyptian clubs, because they have many commitments and obligations, such as contracts with advertising agencies that pump money into these clubs. "We missed many chances and I worried throughout the mach, but the players' willpower and persistence made all the difference, as they grabbed an important victory,” Shehata continued. "The Young Africans are a good, organised team with talented players and coaching staff," he explained, adding that the coaching staff have been trying to help the players get over the Port Said disaster. Zamalek's assistant coach Ismail Youssef also expressed his dissatisfaction with the team's performance. "But winning was the most important thing," he said after the game, pointing out that playing the match without fans affected the players' performance for sure. "The stoppage of the local competition as a result of the Port Said incident also unsettled the players," Youssef explained. The Egyptian Premier League guarantees clubs three main financial sources: the matches' ticket revenues, as well as advertising and TV broadcasting rights. Most soccer clubs have declared 40 days of mourning, including Al-Ahly Club, whose period of mourning ends next Sunday. Debate over resuming the League Azmi Megahed, the EFA spokesman, denies reports that the League could resume in empty stadiums after the mourning period ends on March 15. "The date for its resumption has yet to be decided," he says, pointing out that this cannot be considered, until the end of the investigation into the Port Said tragedy. Meanwhile, Emad el-Banani, the Chairman of Egypt's National Sports Council (NSC), says that he is confident that the Egyptian Premier League will resume again in the near future, stressing that the stoppage is necessary, so everyone can show their support for the families of the Port Said victims. Ahmed el-Dabbe, the EFA's Players Committee chief, warns that cancelling the Premier League this season would be 'catastrophic'. "It would be a nightmare for the players, as there's nothing in their contracts to say they should be paid if the League is cancelled," he points out. “The clubs must pay their players if the League is cancelled. I want the Premier League to resume, as this is in the best interests of the clubs, the players and the national teams.” Zamalek Vice-President Raouf Gasser is also against the Premier League being cancelled, stressing the need to resume the local competition as soon as possible. He too suggests the remaining matches be played in empty stadiums. "Resuming the League without the fans is the best thing to do, as the clubs will suffer terribly if the League is cancelled," Gasser says. “Although this will mean the clubs losing the revenue from matches, at least they won't lose their revenue from sponsorship and TV broadcasting.” Amer Hussein, the ex-head of the EFA's competition committee, says that securing matches is the responsibility of the security bodies. “They are responsible for securing the players, coaching staff and fans, and only they have the right to cancel any match. I deeply regret the deadly incident in Port Said. The law must be applied to prevent such violence in future," he stresses. The violence that erupted after the Ahly-Masry match was one of the deadliest incidents in the history of soccer worldwide. It saw thousands of supporters of Port Said team Al-Masry invade the pitch and pelt fans of Cairo's Al-Ahly with bottles and rocks. Many Egyptian experts have urged officials to take the necessary measures to prevent something like ‘The Massacre of Port Said' ever happening again. They also stress that the media should make the fans aware of the regulations and the need to respect their opponents, in order to avoid further tragedies. Helmi Toulan, the Police Union coach, also says that resuming the Premier League is necessary. "Life must go on, despite this catastrophe. But I don't mean that resuming the Premier League means forgetting the victims of Port Said," he explains. “Rescinding the League will cause Egyptian clubs many technical and financial problems. Resuming the League is something urgent for all the workers in local sports associations.” He suggests that sports events should resume in the presence of just a few fans, to make it easier for the security forces to keep control. "How are they meant to live, if sports are their livelihood?” he asks. "The stoppage will also affect the performance of many clubs, and that's what we saw with Zamalek in their match against the Young Africans. This will in turn affect the national teams, as training camps are not enough." The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has agreed to postpone Egypt's African Cup of Nations' qualifier against Central Africa till June 30. The match was due to take place on February 29, but Egypt asked CAF to postpone it due to the country's state of mourning following The Massacre of Port Said.
