ALEXANDRIA - Ahly's interim coach Abdul-Aziz Abdul-Shafi 'Zizo' pleaded for patience after his side extended their winless streak to four games in the Egyptian Premier League on Friday. The Red Devils were held to a 2-2 draw at bottom side Ittihad after producing another lackluster performance. Zizo replaced Hossam Al-Badri after the latter handed in his resignation last month but is yet to enjoy his first win at the helm after two consecutive draws. "I ask the fans to be patient because we are in a difficult period," the Ahly icon told a news conference after his side shared honors with Ittihad. "Playing more than six matches away from home is also difficult." Mohamed Abou-Treika gave the visitors the lead as early as the ninth minute but ex-Ahli striker Hani Al-Egeizi scored against his former club to level the score few minutes later. In-form Cameroonian striker Edet Otobong put Ittihad in front with a free header but Ahli forward Geddo restored parity before the break after beating the offside trap. "We are having problems in certain positions. I'm finding it difficult to change the roles of some players," Zizo added. "Anyway, the draw was a fair result but we need to eradicate some errors soon." The draw dented Ahly's chances of winning a seventh consecutive league title, given the consistent form of arch rivals Zamalek. Zamalek top the table on 27 points, seven clear of fifth-placed Ahli who have a game in hand. Both sides clash in the Cairo derby on December 31, after which Zizo is likely to step down. Ahly are on the lookout for a new foreign coach to take over in January, with Frenchman Herve Renard appearing as a frontrunner to take up the Ahly hot seat.
