CAIRO - Al-Ahly are still pondering the choice of a new coach, following the resignation of Hossam el-Badri after the team lost 3-1 to Ismaili in Ismailia in the Egyptian Premier League on Sunday. Several managers have been tipped to succeed the 50-year-old at Ahly's helm, including Mohssen Saleh, Anwar Salama and Mokhtar Mokhtar. The committee have dismissed the idea of employing Brazilian Carlos Cabral because he wasn't successful at Al-Ittihad of Alexandria. The football committee of the Cairo-based club has also dismissed the idea of hiring Cabral's compatriot, Ricardo, who is already committed to Al-Ittihad of Libya, according to Al-Messa Tuesday, but they are considering German Theo Buecker. "We will decide on whom to appoint within 48 hours," former Ahly star Sayyed Abdel-Hafiz told Ahly's TV, although he refused to disclose the identity of possible candidates for the job. He even suggested that el-Badri might be reinstated. "A lot of things could happen in the next two days. El-Badri and his backroom boys [who have also resigned] could stay in charge after all," Abdel-Hafiz said. El-Badri was constantly jeered by the fans during Sunday's game, receiving a clear 'Enough' message from the stands. He was followed by the whole of the technical staff, including assistants Alaa Maihoub and Mohamed Youssef. El-Badri was promoted to take charge of Ahly at the beginning of last season, following five years working as an assistant to Portuguese Manuel Jose. Despite the skeptics, he led Ahly to the Egyptian Premier League title in his first season in charge; they also made it to the Egyptian Cup final. But the team's lacklustre performances this season have done little to convince the fans about el-Badri's coaching abilities.
