The domestic football league is heating up, Ahmed Morsy reports Approaching the last 10 games of the Egyptian national league, the competition is becoming a tight affair and the predictions as to who will win coming fast and thick. In the 19th week of the domestic competition, in a crucial game, Ismaili and Zamalek played to a goalless draw on Monday, a result which comes in favour of lurking Ahli. Zamalek, who are leading the league table with 40 points, remained five points clear of second-placed Ismaili. Title holders Ahli are third on 33 points, now two points adrift of Ismaili with a game in hand, and are scheduled to played on Tuesday against El-Gouna. In the first half in Ismailia, the game seemed to be a balanced affair which did not witness many clear-cut chances from either side. The beginning was cautious, with both teams keen to secure their own net in order not to allow an early goal. In the 21st minute, Zamalek star Shikabala could have opened the scoring with one of his brand-name free kicks that was saved by goalie Mohamed Fathi, who was featured due to the absence of the injured Mohamed Sobhi. Throughout the game, Fathi produced a host of magnificent saves and had a dazzling performance. Both teams swapped attacks and several players tried their luck from distance but with no considerable threat on goal. In the second half, Ismaili began to slightly dominate the game. In the first minutes of the second half, Ismaili forward Abdullah El-Said was unmarked in the area and exploited a loose ball but ultimately missed the target. In the 64th minute, Zamalek midfielder Hassan Mustafa fought back with a stinging shot in the wide angle which Fathi proficiently stretched his body to preserve his clean sheet. Zamalek keeper Abdel Wahed El-Sayed, who was also in form, cleared a number of drives in the last 15 minutes including a tough one from substitute Ahmed El-Gamal. In the last few minutes, after a free kick from Ismaili midfielder Hosni Abd-Rabou, substitute Hani Said cleared the ball off the line following a scramble in Zamalek's area. The game was stopped for a few minutes after bottles and stones were thrown on the pitch from the stands as Ismaili fans protested against the referee's decisions. Many criticised Zamalek coach Hossam Hassan for deploying three holding midfielders in the game -- Ibrahim Salah, Hassan Mustafa and Ashour El-Adham. Since the trio tend to support the rearguard rather than attack, many described it as a defensive formation. "I did not deploy a defensive formation. I merely used a strategy that matched the strength of our opponents," Hassan told the press conference. "The draw is not a bad result for either team," he added. Meantime, Zamalek requested from the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) that the Egyptian Cup be completed this season. The 25 January revolution halted all sport competitions for many weeks. The EFA managed to resume the Egyptian national league but initially decided to cancel the cup competition. However, EFA head Samir Zaher said the E FA will incur a LE12m loss as a result of the Egyptian Cup's cancellation. According to Zamalek football director Ibrahim Hassan, the competition will not add pressure to the already accumulated season. Zamalek reached the cup round of 16 after beating second- division Bani Obeid 6-0 back in December. On the other hand, Ahli announced their refusal to take part in the Egyptian Cup. Zaher recently stated that resuming the Egyptian Cup was a priority, but it is an idea that was turned down by Ahli. "No way can we compete in the Egyptian Cup, the Egyptian domestic league and the African Champions League," said Ahli's football director Sayed Abdel-Hafiz. "There is no time for the three competitions." It is believed that Zamalek welcomed the idea since they were recently ousted from the CAF Champions League at the hands of Club African. Elsewhere, Ahli's bus was once again stoned during the team's trip back to Cairo after a goalless draw with Misri in Port Said on Friday. The bus was attacked near the gate of Ismailia by what seemed to be Ismaili supporters. The windows were shattered but no one was injured. On the previous day, Ahli's bus had been stoned upon their arrival in the coastal city. Abdel-Hafiz expressed his dissatisfaction over the "hostile atmosphere" in Port Said. Abdel-Hafiz said that Ahli's bus had been stoned on Thursday, but added he had directed all his players not to talk to the media about the attack. "I don't know why we play in such a hostile atmosphere in Port Said," he said. "We want to play a fair game; we only want our rights. Do we need a revolution in sports in order for everyone to get his rights?" The brawl between Misri fans and their Ahli counterparts erupted on the streets of Port Said. The affray erupted near the railway station, where Misri fans were waiting for Ahli supporters to arrive hours before the match. Both sides exchanged offensive chants before the verbal jousting turned into a battle. They threw rocks, batons and even fireworks against each other. The battle resulted in dozens of injuries on both sides. Police failed to contain the situation before army forces dispersed the crowds and restored order. Early this month, Zamalek's supporters invaded the Cairo Stadium pitch in the dying minutes of their match with Club Africain in the CAF Champions League. The invasion saw a number of hooligans damage the stadium while security personnel stood by as mere onlookers.
