Ahli and Zamalek are in the same group in the CAF Champions League, reports Ahmed Morsy Egyptian league holders Ahli were drawn with Cairo rivals Zamalek in a tough CAF Champions League group. The draw for the last eight was made on Tuesday in Cairo, with the city's top duo facing off in Group B, which also included the mighty TP Mazembe of DR Congo. Group A paired holders Esperance with Tunisian rivals Etoile Sahel, while Algeria's AS Chlef were the third north African team in the group, with Nigeria's Sunshine completing the pool. The first round will start next month, with Ahli hosting two-time champions Mazembe and Zamalek visiting debutants Chelsea of Ghana on 6-8 July. Zamalek will then entertain Ahli in the second round and both teams clash again in August. Ahli and Zamalek, arch-rivals when at home, must now battle again as they represent Egypt in the group stage of the CAF African Champions League. A third Egyptian club, Enppi, exited the CAF Confederation Cup following their 3-0 away loss to Mali's CO Bamako on Sunday. Six-time African champions Ahli qualified for the group stage but only after their maestro playmaker Mohamed Abu Treika produced his first ever continental hat-trick to inspire Ahli to a stunning 3-1 win over Stade Malien behind closed doors in Cairo on Monday. The 3-2 aggregate was just enough to send Ahli to the group stage. After only three minutes, Ahli were unlucky to hit the woodwork twice when right-back Ahmed Fathi rattled the bar with a fierce free-kick before striker Emad Meteb hit the same spot on the rebound. Playing without their spectators for security reasons at Cairo's Military Academy Stadium, Ahli unexpectedly fell behind after 18 minutes when Omar Kida capitalised on a defensive blunder to finish off a counterattack which was their only shot on target. Having defeated Ahli 1-0 in the first leg in Mali a fortnight ago, CO Bamako's dramatic goal had Ahli facing an uphill climb if they wanted to avoid an unthinkable exit from the preliminaries. Minutes before half time, Ahli coach Manuel Jose made two substitutions bringing on attacking midfielders Abdullah El-Said and Abu Treika instead of Fathi and Mohamed Shawki, switching the formation to 4-4-2 to put more pressure on the Malian side. The change paid off after the break when the talismanic Abu Treika hit a superlative free kick to level the score and put Ahli, who last lifted the trophy in 2008, back in the game. In the 83rd minute, Dominique da Silva replaced the lively Mohamed Nagi 'Geddo' and the Mauritanian had an immediate impact when he forced a handball inside the area. Abu Treika, who has played a key role in winning for Ahli a host of titles since his arrival in 2004, added the second when he calmly converted the penalty. With two minutes remaining, who else but the 33-year-old legendary Abu Treika could be the hero? Meteb provided a left-wing cross from left-back Sayed Moawad to Abu Treika who notched the decisive goal, rifling a powerful shot into the roof of the net. Following his side's hard-fought Champions League win over Stade Malien, Jose gave a rare interview with Ahli's satellite channel at the stadium. He responded fervently to the rumours about his future with the club, stressing that he deserves more than criticism for "improving Egyptian football' during his time in Cairo." "Who is criticising me? Whether I stay or leave, I am a professional till the end," Jose said. "I have won 20 titles with this club. I broke domestic, continental and world records. I went to the Club World Cup three times. "For the first time I am saying this, I changed Egyptian football. I am not showing off, but it is true I have improved Egyptian football in recent years�ê� and now they are criticising me! "I have won more titles in seven years than all what Zamalek had won." Jose, who had three distinct spells with Ahli, will run out his contract in the summer but the Cairo club said they are confident that the Portuguese will sign an extension in the near future. Ahli, who are trying to overcome the effects of domestic football stoppage following February's Port Said soccer tragedy in which 75 people were killed, are scheduled to play Spanish club Espanyol in an away friendly on 18 May. They will miss influential trio Abu Treika, Gedo and skipper Hossam Ghali when they face Espanyol tomorrow due to their commitments with the national team. Egypt are preparing for several matches in the World Cup and Africa Nations Cup qualifiers next month. They open their World Cup campaign at home with Mozambique on 1 June. On Sunday, Zamalek defeated Morocco's Maghreb Fes 2-0 at Cairo's Military Academy Stadium also behind closed doors to complete an easy 4-0 aggregate win and like Ahli progress to the group stage. However, their advancement was overshadowed by a stunning altercation between forward Mahmoud Abdel-Razek 'Shikabala' and coach Hassan Shehata during the game. Zamalek needed just three minutes to open the scoring when the unmarked midfielder Ibrahim Salah sent home a pin-point free-kick from Shikabala. In a rare foray, Fes almost levelled the score at 16 minutes, but were denied by a goal-line clearance from Zamalek fullback Omar Gaber. A few minutes later, Shikabala surged into the box from the left before squaring to Ahmed Hassan, who was felled by defender Hammouni inside the six-yard box. However, Hassan, Egypt's number one penalty specialist and the world record holder for most international games played, blasted the ensuing spot kick wide. The beginning of the second half was similar to the first. Zamalek doubled the score only minutes after the interval thanks to Hazem Emam, who replaced Gaber in the first half. Emam notched the second goal after being twice denied by the keeper who could do nothing with the third attempt from point-blank range. Shortly after veteran Hassan had needlessly received his marching orders following a second caution for simulation, Shikabala remonstrated angrily at his manager after being substituted. The 26-year-old, one of the Cairo giants' most gifted footballers ry, was enraged after being substituted six minutes past the hour mark. Egypt international Shikabala threw his wristband in Shehata's direction, while shouting at his manager: "I'm fed up because of you; if you don't want me then let me go," Shikabala screamed. The flare-up was shown live on TV. Following the altercation Shikabala was suspended by the club's administration. Shikabala, who came through Zamalek's young ranks, has had disciplinary problems which have landed him in numerous problems with the club. "The management has decided to suspend Shikabala until it receives the game report from the coach," said a statement on Zamalek's official website. "Management will not accept a player's behaviour like this against the coach," Zamalek's Vice-President Sabri Serag said. "Any player who makes the same mistake will be punished according to the team's principles." Shehata said that Shikabala was like his son, however, conceded that the midfielder's furious behavior following his substitution was deemed offensive to the club's board and fans. "My substitutions are generally based on tactical reasons. A player could be the best one performing in the team and be replaced," Shehata told Al-Nahar TV. "The substitution had nothing to do with Shikabala's play. I only do what I see is in the team's best interest. "His conduct is offensive to the club's board and fans and above all himself. He did not just offend me in person. Shikabala is like my son. I don't know why he reacted that way. All the players are being fairly treated by me," Shehata said. "I don't like to make any rash decisions as we are going to discuss the matter during my next meeting with the board." In addition to Shikabala, Ahmed Hossam "Mido" was also dropped from travelling to Saudi Arabia where the club is supposed to play a friendly with the Saudi Al-Nahda team on 16 May. Despite his recent return to the club's training sessions after resolving a salary crisis, Mido did not appear with his team on Sunday due to fitness concerns. There are reports that the veteran striker is on his way out of the club. Enppi could not emulate the successes of Ahli and Zamalek. They were knocked out of the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday after being thrashed 3-0 by Malian side CO Bamako. The Egypt Cup winners exited Africa's secondary competition, following a 4-3 aggregate defeat, having defeated Bamako 3-1 in the first leg in Cairo three weeks ago. Enppi, who were Egypt's sole representatives in the CAF Confederation Cup, could have forced the game into a penalty shootout, but were let down by midfielder Amr El-Halawani, who wasted a penalty in the second half. No Egyptian club has won the Confederation Cup since its inauguration in 2004.
