CAIRO: Police Union have sealed promotion to the Egyptian Premier League after securing a 2-1 over Banha on Wednesday. The win helped them finish on top of their group to return to the top flight for the first time since the 1975/1976 season. Police Union technical adviser Ibrahim Youssef insisted there won t be a team overhaul to cope with the elite competition s demands. We will neither get rid of our players nor appoint a new manager like other teams do when they seal promotion to the first division, Youssef told FilGoal.com. We are working within a three-year plan. The first phase of this plan was accomplished when we advanced to the top flight. We will try to maintain our top-flight status next season before dedicating our efforts to finish in a good position the following term. Youssef wants his team to follow in the footsteps of clubs like ENPPI, Al-Gaish, Harras Al-Hodoud and Petrojet. These teams booked their places in the top division over the past few years and managed to cement their positions without making major changes in their squads. The teams which replaced their coaches and players had a quick return to the second division, Youssef said. The former Zamalek defender heaped praise on Police Union coach Alaa Abdul-Aal for the role he played in the team s promotion. He deserved to reap the rewards after exerting much effort with Police Union, Youssef concluded. Asyut Petroleum have also guaranteed their premier-division promotion after a 1-0 win over Al-Walideya last week.
