Ahly coach Manuel Jose is refusing to throw in the towel as arch-rivals Zamalek appear in pole position to win the Egyptian Premier League. Zamalek staged a remarkable comeback to beat Petrojet earlier this week after scoring twice in stoppage time to keep their six-point lead over second-placed Ahly intact. Ahly are seeking to win a seventh consecutive league title while Zamalek are eager to end a drought stretching back to 2004. “We will not give up; we will fight until the very end to win the title,” Portuguese coach Jose, who returned to Ahly in January to lead them for a third stint, said on the club's official website on Friday. “We have already managed to move into second spot at the expense of Ismaily and we are determined to move top. “Our recent victories will put Zamalek under pressure when they play their league matches.” Jose steered Ahly to five consecutive league titles from 2004 to 2009 to earn cult status among their faithful before leaving the Red Devils to coach the Angolan national team and Saudi Arabia's Ittihad Jeddah. He returned to Ahly at the halfway stage this term to rescue the faltering side, who performed badly under coach Hossam El-Badry in the first half of the season. Zamalek, who are excelling under the guidance of Egypt's all-time leading scorer Hossam Hassan, look eager to end their league jinx. “I will congratulate Zamalek if they win the league because they haven't won it for a long time, while Ahly won it during the past six seasons,” Jose added.
