Ismaili lost out to Sfax of Tunisia for the lucrative Arab Champions League title. Mohamed El-Sayed discovers that sometimes the winner is not always the best Perhaps their youngsters lack the necessary experience of international matches. Or because they played three hard-fought matches in five days. Whatever the reason, Ismaili are not the winners of the Arab Champions League. That honour goes to Sfax of Tunisia. Ismaili lost to Sfax 4-3 on penalties after 120 minutes of goalless football in the Olympic Stadium in the Lebanese capital Beirut on Sunday to lift the inaugural Arab Champions League Cup. Throughout their 80-year history, Ismaili have proven to be lacking the know-how of winning a championship, consistently on the losing end in decisive stages after displaying often brilliant football in preliminary matches. Take a recent example. In less than a year, Ismaili lost three tournaments in their final stages: the Egyptian Cup in August 2003, the African Champions League in December of the same year and this week the Arab Champions League. Consisting of short passes on the ground, Ismaili football has always been a joy to behold. But history remembers only those who win, not those who played well. It will go down in the chronicles of this championship that Sfax was the first king of the Arabs while Ismaili's football, though at times world class, will be a mere footnote. From the beginning of the novel new edition of the tournament, Ismaili, otherwise the Dervishes, displayed top-notch performances that made them among the early favourites. They reached the final of the richest Arab tournament after eliminating powerhouses Tunisian Etoile de Sahel, Saudi Ittihad Jeddah, Ahli Jeddah, and finally Hilal of Saudi Arabia whom they defeated 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-final. But in the final on Sunday things started to unravel. Although Ismaili dominated from beginning to end (ball possession 62 per cent in their favour), they couldn't translate the chances that came their way. They could not find the goal despite their energetic midfielder Ahmed Fathi's complete success in containing the Tunisian side's most dangerous player Tarek Al-Tayeb. Al-Tayeb was undeniably the best player in the tournament and is reported to have signed for a Qatari club for LE100,000 a month. Ismaili could not even capitalise on having the extra man after Essam Al-Maradsi was red-carded in the 91st minute. The Tunisians created only two scoring opportunities through the ever energetic Al-Tayeb, compared to an outstanding eight wasted chances by Ismaili's Mohamed Mohsen Abu-Greisha, who comes from a star-studded family of footballers but who often fails to show any of the skills of his relatives. The still inexperienced Omar Gamal and Ahmed El-Gamal were the other culprits. The two teams resorted to the penalty spot to break the tie. Hosni Abd-Rabbo, Ahmed Fathi and Mohamed Hommos netted before the Dervishes' keeper Mohamed Sobhi saved. Almost all expected the cup will go to those who deserve it. However, Abu- Greisha and Abdallah El-Said wasted, and two Tunisians netted. Ismaili coach Theo Bucker's only mistake of the final was to assign 18-year-old El-Said to take the decisive penalty. But it proved a gross miscalculation. Overwhelmed by the importance of the occasion, El-Said sent the ball sailing wide, then fell to the ground in a heap. Lebanese President Emile Lahud presented the cup to the Tunisian side who took part in the tournament only after a Djibouti team failed to appear. Sfax went away with six million Saudi riyals ($1.5 million). Runners-up Ismaili took four million riyals ($1 million), along with a solid base of newly-found fans across the Arab world. Zamalek finished third and earned 2.5 million riyals after edging Hilal of Saudi Arabia 3-2 in the third and fourth decider. The Saudi squad received 1.5 million riyals. The Arab Football Federation announced that the second edition of the Arab Champions League will begin in December instead of August, the starting point last year, and will be modelled after its European counterpart. This would mean fewer matches and new rules for qualifying.
