Ahly's coach hails players' determination to keep league title

Manuel Jose lavishes praise on his players following Friday's easy 2-0 win over Petrojet in the Egyptian Premier League

Ahly coach Manuel Jose lauded his men's performance in the 2-0 win over Petrojet in the Egyptian Premier League Friday.
The victory saw the title holders keep pace with leaders and arch-rivals Zamalek on top of the league table with 49 points.
Not only was Jose satisfied over the much-needed win, but also because his players' display showed that they have great determination to retain the domestic title.
“I am very happy with the players' performance and determination to win the league title despite the stiff completion with Zamalek,” the Portuguese tactician was quoted as saying by Ahram Arabic portal.
Ahly exposed huge gaps in Petrojet's backline to claim an easy win despite playing with ten men for the majority of the second half following the dismissal of veteran midfielder Ahmed Hassan.
A traditional two-horse race between Ahly and Zamalek, who meet in the Cairo derby later this month, is now expected to go down to the wire.
“The players will have a rest for three days and then we will start preparing for the uocoming game with ENNPI and the crucial matches against Ismaily and Zamalek,” Jose added.
The 62-year-old is a cult figure among Ahly's faithful, having led the club to a host of domestic and continental titles between 2004 and 2009. He returned to the club last January to lead them for a third stint after they faltered under his predecessor, Hossam El-Badry.