Egyptian coach Hossam El-Badry blamed the referee and the bad luck for preventing his team from securing a record 13th consecutive win after losing 1-0 to Ahli Al Khartoum on Monday. “Our players are not responsible for the first defeat as they did their best in the game,” the Egyptian coach was quoted as saying by Sudanese newspaper El Mariekh news. “We were unlucky as we missed many chances in front of the goal. Also the referee denied us two penalties,” he added. Goalkeeper Essam El Hadary recently pledged his future to El-Merreikh after the club turned down three offers to let him move away in the summer. “I had offers from clubs in Switzerland, England and Iran. Being a target of foreign clubs reflects that I am on the right track,” the former Ahly and Zamalek guard told his official website. “Playing in Europe is still my dream but, as I said before, I feel comfortable here and I am committed to the club until the end of my contract,” he added. Despite Monday's defeat, El-Merreikh are topping the Sudanese league table with 36 points, six ahead of their archrivals Al Hilal.
