Not since May 15th, 2004 have Zamalek been labeled as favorites to beat arch-rivals Ahli in a Cairo derby, but things seem to be going very well for the Men in White ahead of Monday's anticipated clash. After a three-year winless streak against Ahli, Zamalek finally seem to have the upper hand, thanks to a number of crucial factors that paved the way for the 99th derby game. ZAMALEK'S STABILITY Given that Ahli were crowned league champions for the third successive year, with three rounds left to play, ironically made the Cairo derby of less significance for the Red Devils. Ahli coach, Manuel Jose, opted to rest eight of his key players for the remainder of the league campaign, including the games against Zamalek and Ismaili, to concentrate on the CAF Champions League and Egyptian Cup quests. Jose himself went on a three-week vacation in Portugal, leaving the helm to his assistant Hossam Al-Badri who will take the responsibility of leading a second-string squad in these two matches. Ahli's long list of absentees include influential goalkeeper Essam Al-Hadari, defenders Emad Al-Nahhas and Shadi Mohamed, midfielders Mohamed Shawki and Mohamed Barakat, playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika and the league's top-scorers Emad Meteb and Amado Flavio. Added to this long list of players is injured defender Islam Al-Shater and out-of-form winger Tarek Al-Saied. On the other hand, Zamalek are enjoying a rare period of stability within their ranks and have a 13 match unbeaten streak in the league, including winning their last six games. But while Zamalek's results seem to be positive their performance has fluctuated, leaving their fans to wonder when the honeymoon with French manager Henri Michel will end. The French tactician started the rebuilding process when he took over the team in January, but due to his experimentation with the locally unpopular 4-4-2 formation cost Zamalek a lot. In the past five months, Zamalek lost hope in pursuing Ahli at the summit of the Egyptian league and suffered disappointing exits from the CAF and Arab Champions Leagues respectively.
Ahli were crowned champions three rounds before the end However, Zamalek's coaching staff and players can always count on a victory over arch-rivals Ahli to win back their disgruntled fans. A win for Zamalek on Monday would also serve as a strong boost for their quest to win second place and secure a place in next year's CAF Champions League, and maybe also pursue the Egyptian Cup title, which has eluded the team since 2002. Zamalek's strength lies upfront, with young sensation Shikabala calling the plays from midfield and forming a successful combo with forwards Gamal Hamza and Abdul-Halim Ali. Both captain Hazem Emam and striker Amr Zaki remain strong back-ups for the talented trio up front. In midfield, Tamer Abdul-Hamid seems to have secured his place after a long-spell on the sidelines due to injury problems. But he will be missing his partner in crime Alaa Abdul-Ghani who is also nursing an injury. On the left flank, Zamalek have the energetic Tarek Al-Sayed but Michel has yet to choose between Youssef Hamdi and Ahmed Hossam to fill in for the suspended Ahmed Ghanem on the right side. Perhaps Zamalek's weakest link remains in their defense and goalkeeping positions. Goalkeeper Mohamed Abdul-Monsef is notorious for losing his calm in clashes against Ahli, a trait that made him one of Zamalek fans' worst nightmares. Guarding Abdul-Monsef will be sweeper Wael Al-Qabani and defender Wissem Al-Abdi, who have both demonstrated a common understanding over the past few games. The last place in defense remains up for grabs between Mahmoud Mahmoud and Tamer Abdul-Wahab in the absence of injured Tunisian defender Yamen Ben Zekri. And even though there seems to be a lot at stake for Zamalek's players in Monday's clash, reigning champio
