CAIRO: There are no problems as long as Ahly are on top of the Egyptian Premier League table, coach Hossam Al-Badri said after his side were held to a 1-1 draw by Arab Contractors on Wednesday. The Red Devils four-match winning run came to an end at the hands of Contractors, who took the lead after 12 minutes through a goal from striker Ehab Al-Masri. An own goal by Nigerian defender Shamusideen Tijani few minutes later gave Ahly the equalizer. Ahly struggled to create clear-cut chances afterwards, with their lone striker Emad Meteb unable to make a notable impact and attacking midfielders Mohamed Barakat, Mohamed Abou-Treika and Ahmed Shokri hardly feeding him. The players could have played better but they were very nervous for no apparent reason, Al-Badri said on Ahly s official website after the game. Our midfield was not compact in the first half, that s why Contractors were more dangerous. We improved in the second half and had several goalscoring chances but we were unlucky. Ahly, in their first season under the guidance of Al-Badri following the departure of Portuguese Manuel Jose last summer, are still firm favorites to win a sixth consecutive league crown. They are on top of the table with 53 points, six ahead of second-placed and arch-rivals Zamalek who played a game more. Losing two points is not a problem, especially that we are still on the top, Al-Badri added.
