Ahli's shocking defeat at Asyut Petroleum means that a two-year period of red dominance over the Egyptian Cup has ended, giving other teams hopes to lift the coveted trophy. The Red Devils dominated all competitions over the past two years, the achievements which left their rivals ruing their fate which paired them with such a powerful team. However, Ahli have seemingly rested on their laurels. Just two months after losing the Champions League title at the hands of Etoile Sahel, Ahli have suffered an early elimination from the Egyptian Cup. Second-division side Asyut Petroleum caused the greatest upset, defeating the Cairo giants 1-0 in the round of the 32. It is the first time in the competition's history that the title holders are ousted from this round by a lower division club. Poor Substitutes Ahli coach Manuel Jose fielded a second-string line up due to the absence of several regulars for international duty but they failed to prove their worth. Mohamed Mahmoud 'Nano' was lost in midfield and defender Mohamed Samir produced a catastrophic display, almost gifting Asyut a first-half opener. Combative striker Reda Al-Weeshi knows how to use his body to keep the ball under his feet but he failed to communicate with partner Ahmed Belal as both men were isolated.
Zamalek en route to title Fringe men playing in a such-high profile team should produce a much better display, according to a disappointed Ahli fan. "We should have done better even with the absence of international players," Yasser Mohamed, who lives in Asyut and cheered for Ahli from the away standings, told FilGoal.com. Ahli have been suffering from their inability to find back-ups for stars such as Mohamed Abou-Treika and Mohamed Barakat. New Champions Ahli's latest defeat means the competition will have new champions and it is likely to spark a debate whether their rivals can take advantage of the Cairo giants' current dip in form to lure the League title as well. Zamalek, Ahli's traditional rivals, lack consistency and fell off the pace in the Egyptian League. Nevertheless, they are desperate not to end the season trophy-less for the fourth year running. "The Egyptian Cup is our primary objective now," Zamalek assistant coach Ayman Mansour said after his side crushed Ismailia Electricity 3-0 on Friday. Egyptian League surprise packages Petrojet and Al-Gaish don't have an experience of top-flight competitiveness but they have high ambitions and are no short of power. Both teams produced good results in Egypt's primary competition and were mooted as surprising contenders for the league title. Ahli were dethroned in the cup but it remains to be seen whether they will surrender a fourth successive league title.
