Ahli coach Manuel Jose is aware that the Cairo derby is a match of special significance, but he couldn't hide a sarcastic swipe at Friday's opponents, Zamalek. The fact that Zamalek trail Ahli by 17 points in the league table, has done enough to convince Jose he has every right to speak in an overly-confident manner. "In terms of standings, the match won't have any meaning," the Portuguese coach said after Ahli brushed aside Arab Contractors in the Egyptian League. "If my team wins, we will be satisfied with adding three points to our tally but if Zamalek win, they will hold long-lasting celebrations until the season's end." Does Jose's approach really reflect the current difference between both sides? Ahli have demonstrated their absolute superiority this season. Despite being far from impressive, unlike the past three years, they never faced troubles in the popular domestic competition. The Red Devils are yet to taste defeat, lying comfortably on top of the table with a massive 16-point lead over nearest challengers Al-Gaish. Current results are not the only factor favoring Ahli in Friday's anticipated contest, but also the recent history of Cairo derby clashes. Zamalek have won just once in the past seven league encounters between both sides in a period of underachievement for the men in white. Their sole victory came when Ahli decided to field second tier players after having settled the league title. The sarcastic manner in which Jose spoke about Zamalek does not necessary mean that he will take a soft approach towards the match. He still regards the Cairo derby highly.
The Cairo derby is always a special occasion "The derby remains a highly important contest. It is considered by many as a special competition." "I replaced Ahmed Fathi and Emad Meteb in the Arab Contractors match because I feared they would pick up a second booking and miss the Zamalek clash." Can Zamalek Respond? Zamalek approach the game on the back of three successive wins in different competitions. Zamalek reached the CAF Champions League round of 32 after overcoming APR of Rwanda. They also progressed to the Egyptian Cup semi-final after a 4-1 victory over Suez Cement. The five-time African champions snatched a hard-fought 1-0 victory over ENPPI in the Egyptian League, four days before the Cairo derby. "We achieved our target against ENPPI. We will be better when the injured and suspended players return to the squad," Zamalek assistant coach Mohamed Helmi said. Defender Mahmoud Fathallah echoed Helmi's claim. "The team's technical staff had to field players out of position in the past period due to our continuous injury problems. I'm sure things will get better in the coming few days."
