CAIRO - Egyptian giants Al-Ahly, Zamalek and Enppi have all qualified for the round of 16 in the African tournaments. Al-Ahly stunned Ethiopian Coffee 3-0 in Cairo at the Military Stadium, behind closed doors, while Zamalek lost 2-1 to Africa Sports of Côte d'Ivoire but qualified on the away goal rule, in the second-leg matches in the round of 32 of the African Champions League (ACL). The other member of the Egyptian trio engaged in African competitions, the Petroleum side Enppi, also qualified after comfortably defeating Lydia Academic of Burundi 4-1 in the second leg of the African Confederation Cup round of 32. Zamalek coach: A step nearer the ACL title Ismail Youssef, Zamalek general coach, said that overcoming Africa Sport of Côte d'Ivoire in the round of 32 of the ACL is an important step towards competing for the title. "Qualifying for the round of 16 was difficult, especially given the circumstances for Egyptian football and the cancellation of the Premier League," he said after the game. Zamalek, five-time African champions, lost 2-1 to Africa Sports of Côte d'Ivoire in the second-leg game in Abidjan, but qualified on the away goal rule. A late penalty goal by striker Amr Zaki saved the day for the White Knights. In the first leg, Zamalek beat Africa Sports 1-0 behind closed doors at the Military Stadium, thanks to a goal from Benin striker Razak Omotoyossi. "The players were heroes," Youssef said after the game, adding that Islam Awwad and Mohamed Said succeeded in breaching the opponent's defences, in collaboration with strikers Ahmed Gaafar and Amr Zaki. Youssef praised the changes made by coach Hassan Shehata, which made all the difference. Zamalek will now face Maghreb de Fes of Morocco in the round of 16 of the ACL. Veteran White Knights midfielder Ahmed Hassan, Egypt's captain, said that Africa Sports' second goal shouldn't have been allowed, as defender Mahmoud Fathallah stopped the ball from crossing the line; nevertheless, his side are now through to the round of 16. "We were very motivated, as this is our only tournament after the cancellation of the Premier League, in the wake of the Port Said tragedy," Hassan stressed. "It was a tough game for us, especially as Abidjan is so hot.” Zamalek goalkeeper Abdel-Wahed el-Sayyed will be ruled out of the round of 16 clash due to suspension, having picked up a second yellow card in the Africa Sports game. The White Knights had qualified for the round of 32 in the ACL, after beating the Young Africans of Tanzania 1-0 in the second leg of the round of 64, thanks to a header by striker Ahmed Hossam 'Mido'.
Al-Ahly coach: qualification is good Al-Ahly's general coach Pedro Barney denied his team's victory against Ethiopian Coffee was easy, stressing that the Red Devils suffered a lot especially in the first half. "Despite the great result, the match was tough, even after the early goal by Brazilian striker Fabio Junior, especially given the circumstances for Egyptian football at the moment," Pedro told reporters after the game, adding that the important thing is that the team have qualified for the next round. Ahly stunned Ethiopian Coffee 3-0 on Sunday night, thanks to a goal from striker Fabio Junior and a brace from playmaker Mohamed Abou Treika. The two teams played out a scoreless draw in Addis Ababa two weeks ago. Pedro explained that his team were still affected by the Port Said tragedy and also the refusal of the security authorities to secure the game, before changing their minds. "Sure these events had a negative impact on the players," Pedro stressed. "At half-time, we urged the lads to try and forget everything and play their best. The third goal in the second half sent us through to the round of 16," he added, pointing out that the team will improve in the next rounds. Reporters asked him what chance the Red Devils have of lifting the ACL trophy. "It is still early days and difficult to predict at the best of times; the problems facing Egyptian football make it more difficult, but we have a good chance," he answered, added that Fabio Junior can only get better. Mohamed Youssef, Al-Ahly assistant coach, said that the players were determined to qualify for the round of 16 of the ACL. "The players really got their act together in the second half. Their passing and tactics were great. They were buzzing! Mohamed Barakat and Abou Treika were particularly impressive," he told Modern Koora TV channel after the game. Ahmed Naggui, Al-Ahly goalkeeping coach, was just as delighted, singling out stopper Sherif Ekrami for praise. "The three big teams have done their country proud, in the wake of the inactivity following the Port Said tragedy," he told Al-Hayat TV channel after the game, congratulating Zamalek club for also progressing in the same tournament. Emad Mete'ab, the team striker, was also very happy, saying the fans deserved this win, even though they were absent from the stands. "I'm happy to be back in action after injury. We dedicate this win to our fans who were deprived of attending the game for security reasons," he told GoalFm Radio after the game. Ahly will now face the winner of the match between Benin's Tonnerre club and Stade Malien of Mali in the round of 16; this fixture has been postponed till April 25, because of the military coup in Mali. The Ethiopian Coffee clash was the Red Devils' first official game in Cairo since the tragedy at the end of a match in Port Said on February 1, that claimed the lives of at least 74 Al-Ahly fans and injured more than 1,000, leading to the cancellation of the Egyptian Premier League this season. Seconds after the final whistle, thousands of supporters of Port Said team Al-Masry invaded the pitch, hurling bottles and rocks at the fans of Cairo's Ahly. Enppi coach: I thank all the players Hossam el-Badri, the Enppi technical coach, expressed his happiness as his side qualified for the round of 16 of the African Confederation Cup. "I'm very proud of my players as they didn't underestimate their opponents. They played well and deserved to qualify," he said after the game. "The early pressure on their opponents paid off," el-Badri continued, pointing out that he was 75 per cent satisfied with the technical performance of the players. Enppi stunned Lydia Academic 4-1 on Saturday, thanks to a goal from striker Ahmed Abdel-Zaher and a hat-trick from striker Ahmed Raouf, while Domana Youssef pulled one back for Lydia Academic. "The early goal from Abdel-Zaher gave the players great confidence and inspired them to go on scoring," he added. The game was played at the Military Sports Stadium in Cairo. Enppi will now face Cercle Olympique de Bamako of Mali in the round of 16. "The players were suffering technically because of the cancellation of the Premier League," el-Badri explained, adding that the coaching staff are seriously contemplating a preparation camp abroad, ahead of the Cercle Olympique clash. "The next stage of the African Confederation Cup will be very difficult, as Cercle Olympique de Bamako are a great team, better than Lydia Academic," he warned.
