Ahli coach Manuel Jose expressed his disappointment with the performance shown by his side in the opening game of the season, which saw them draw 2-2 at Masri on Monday. The African champions were stunned by a solid first half performance by the home team, who were on the verge of producing a league opening day shocker hadn't Mohamed Abou Treika equalized in the second half. "I warned my players against Masri's resilience at home, but they looked over-confident and failed to give the right performance," Jose said in the post-match conference. Despite his players' mediocre display and Masri's supremacy for long spells of the game, Jose was adamant that his team will not come out as losers. "I was confident that we would get a point at least from the game," he said. The Portuguese manager, largely known for his criticism to referees, praised the match referee Mahmoud Osman.
Toulan thrilled with draw "I think the officials did a fine job, but I wish that referees could be more aware with players' simulation." Ironically, the replays showed that the linesman made a crucial error against Ahli, as Masri's second goal should have been ruled out with a clear offside. On the other hand, Masri manager Helmi Toulan was delighted to see his new-look side grab a first day draw against the Egyptian champions. "I am elated with the score line, I think the performance of my players makes the draw looks as if we have come out victorious," Toulan said. "We were playing against a very tough team, whose preparations were by far better than ours." Toulan took charge of Masri at the end of last season, and the Port-Saied based club has not played any official or friendly games before the Ahli clash.
