CAIRO: Ahly goalkeeper Amir Abdel-Hamid hit back at critics, following the Reds shocking exit to the World Club Cup on Saturday. Abdel-Hamid conceded four goals as Ahly were beaten by Mexico s Pachuca 4-2 in Tokyo, despite having a two-goal advantage at half-time. Abdel-Hamid was widely criticized by the media after the game, but the 30-year-old refused to be the scapegoat for the team s failure. It is not about Amir, the whole team lost and all players are responsible, not just me, he told Ahly TV. I heard the critics were against me on TV after the match, but I can tell you that some of them are personal. The same people who criticized me at the end of the game, said I was a hero at half-time, which proves they are dishonest. Abdel-Hamid defended himself against skeptics who questioned his ability to fill in the gap left by Essam Al-Hadari's sudden departure. I helped the team win the league, the Super Cup and the Champions League since I became number one, he said. But once the team loses a game, they say Amir cannot handle it. In the wake of the defeat, Egypt goalkeeping coach Ahmed Soliman deemed Abdel-Hamid responsible for Pachuca s equalizer. However, the Ahly keeper explained that Christian Gimenez s well-placed free kick was almost impossible to block. The free kick was from a very difficult position for any goalkeeper; it was at the center of the box. It was also perfectly-executed, so I didn't have a chance, he added. I tried to organize the wall, but it was an excellent free kick.
