CAIRO: Ahly will face a stern challenge from Harras Hodoud to maintain their winning streak of their Egyptian Premier League campaign, coach Hossam Al-Badri said on Saturday. The Red Devils, who are bidding to win a sixth consecutive league title, made it two wins out of two when they defeated Police Union 2-1 on Wednesday. They will have to overcome a tough opponent in Hodoud on Sunday if they are to claim their third successive win. The match will be very difficult but we are ready for it, Al-Badri told Ahly s official website. I watched Hodoud s match against Gaish to know their strengths and weaknesses. Everything is clear for both teams. Hodoud, who won the Egyptian Cup last season, caused an upset by beating Ahly 2-0 in the Super Cup last month. They are tipped to compete with the likes of Ahly and Zamalek for the league title. Ahly were heavily criticized after suffering several defeats in pre-season friendlies but they opened their league campaign in convincing fashion. A 2-0 home victory over Ghazl Mahalla followed by a comeback win over Police placed the Cairo giants at the top along with Petrojet, who also bagged maximum points. The team is notably improving; this was clear during our first two games. All the players are doing their best to earn a regular place in the starting line-up, Al-Badri added.
