Ahli made new sports history once again by beating CS Sfaxien of Tunisia 3-2 at Cairo International Stadium this week, thereby bringing up the number of times it has won the Super Cup to six. The same venue had witnessed the same two teams coming head to head in 2009, when Ahli beat CS Safxien 2-1. Wael Gomaa, Mohamed Fathi, El-Sayed Moawad and Ashour are the only remaining members of the Ahli squad that beat the reigning Tunisian champions in their initial meeting five years ago. Two goals from Mohamed Gedo and a third from Amr Sayed ensured Ahli the historic sixth Super Cup victory. CS Sfaxien's two goals came through captain Ali Maaloul and striker Benyoussef Fakhreddine. Although Ahli was severely attacked by its fans and the public before the Super Cup match after a series of weak performances and losses in the national league matches, they were able to more than make up for it in the Super Cup. Mohamed Youssef, Ahli's technical manager, said his players had recently been concentrating more on the Super Cup, which is why they won. “The players were very enthusiastic to make a new historic achievement and that is why they were focused and played well. They wanted to take the title home and never let it go,” he said. Playing before a fan-packed stadium after a two-year ban also boosted the players' morale and contributed a great role to their victory,” he said. According to Youssef, the Red Devils were on the defensive to block any early shots from the side and when they felt secured, they started attacking. Youssef expressed his happiness as coach to witness African victories with Ahli at the CAF Champions League and the Super Cup. On the other hand, CS Sfaxien's coach, Hamadi Daw, said that his team's experience was much more limited than Ahli's players . “It was a tough game and the standard was high. We were better in possession, but Ahli scored first,” Daw told CAF's online website. On the sidelines of the match, Ahli's captain and defender, 38-year-old Wael Gomaa, who has won several titles at both local and international levels, made an sent shockwaves through the audience by announcing that he will hang his boots at the end of the current season after a long career with Ahli and the Egyptian national team. Gomaa burst into tears after winning the Super Cup, saying, “I will never find a better chance to announce my retirement. Ahli is a great club and will continue to be great with or without me. The Red Castle will continue to be on top as it was able to trod over a number of obstacles especially that of the Port Said massacre and it will always be the leader. I am very happy to be one of the players that witnessed and participated in the sixth Super Cup and to be a part of this history.” Gomaa's career with Ahli began in 2001 after eight years with Ghazl El-Mahalla. He made 400 appearances with Ahli and playing for the Red Devils were, in his own words, “very special moments.” During his 13-year career, he was able to win with Ahli six CAF Champions League titles, six CAF Super Cups, seven Egyptian League crowns, three Egyptian Cups and six Egyptian Super Cups. He also joined the Egyptian national team in the same year he moved to Ahli in 2001. He remains the only player to have featured in all six Super Cup triumphs of the “Red Devils” of Egyptian football. He was an integral part of the national team and competed with the team in five successive African Nations Cups in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010. According to Gomaa, his generation was one of the best that played for Ahli, comprising players such as Mohamed Abu Treika, Essam El Hadari, Mohamed Barakat and Shady Mohamed. “We trained hard and sacrificed our lives for the sake of Ahli. We have always been committed to our club and were eager to make our fans happy and we did,” Gomaa said. Commenting on Gomaa, Ahli coach, Mohamed Youssef, said he was a perfect player that he considered himself lucky to train. “He is well-behaved on and off the field and follows instructions strictly, to the extent that he could forget everything about his family for the sake of his team. He did a lot for Ahli and his name will never be forgotten. He remains one of the greatest defenders in the history of Egyptian football,” he said. The night, however, did not end as peacefully and happily as it started. Without warning, a clash erupted between Ahli's fans, Ultras Ahlwai, and the policemen securing the match. It suddenly turned bloody after strong clashes ensued between the two sides. Dr. Ashraf Sobhi, head of Cairo's International Stadium announced that damages from the clashes have exceeded EGP 650,000. Both the Ministry of Interior and the Egyptian football federations are currently seriously contemplating either a postponement of all league matches or a banning of fans from attending matches again. Instead of celebrating a historic victory, Ahli is now ruminating on strategies to control their fans' actions and means of raising money to pay for the stadium's losses.
