Ex-Al-Ahly's coach Manuel Jose has played down reports that he is on his way back to the Cairo giants, according to FilGoal.com Tuesday night. The Portuguese left Al-Ahly in the end of last season to take over as Angola manager, leading the host nation during the African Cup of Nations (ACN) in January. He took Angola to the quarter-finals, but was defeated 1-0 by Ghana, who reached the final before losing to title holders Egypt. With Angola having no further commitments in 2010 and Jose's huge popularity among Al-Ahly's supporters, speculation has been rife that he might return to the Egyptian champions. "Unil now, there are no talks between me and Ahly," Jose told Egypt's sports magazine Al-Ahram el-Riyadi. "I have a contract with Angola till June 2010 and no Ahly official has initiated any discussion which would see me returning to Cairo. "I still haven't decided my next destination," he added. Jose managed Ahly for the past five years. His record is impressive, he won the league title for five consecutive years and reached four African Champions League finals - winning the title on three occasions. He has been given a demigod status among Ahly's fans, who have always supported him not only against the press but even against the club management on a few occasions. Hossam el-Badri, Jose's first assistant, took over at the beginning of the season, leading the team to first place after the first half of the season.
