Veteran midfielder Ahmed Hassan believes his display on his Ahli debut against arch-rivals Zamalek proved doubters wrong. Hassan scored the winner in the 2-1 victory in the Group A of the African Champions League on Sunday. The 33-year-old Egypt captain pulled the strings in the midfield, covering the absence of playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika, still excelling in his defensive responsibilities. "I promised the fans to make an impact and I believe I have done that against Zamalek," Hassan told FilGoal.com on Monday. "There have been many skeptics in the media and among the fans. Several people said I am getting too old to continue my career in Europe and that I returned to Egypt to rest. "I think I proved all doubters wrong against Zamalek." Hassan joined Ahli this summer after a 10-year European career. He played for several Turkish sides including giants Besiktas. In 2006, Hassan moved to Belgian powerhouse Anderlecht, where he made history with the club by winning the domestic league, the Belgian Cup and the local Super Cup. He was offered a contract extension this summer but the former Ismaili player preferred to return to Egypt for family reasons. Ultimate Goal Despite often being assigned a defensive role with the national team, Hassan was a regular scorer with Anderlecht. He was among the team's top scorers in his spell there and netting against Zamalek from a long-range shot wasn't surprise to many. Hassan was set-up by Hossam Ashour from a free-kick and he unleashed a low drive that penetrated the Zamalek wall and floated past keeper Abdul-Wahed Al-Sayed. "It was great to find the net, but scoring wasn't my ultimate goal," Hassan said.
He explained: "I am happy with my performance through out the game more than with my goal. "I want to play well for 90 minutes every single game, that's what really matters. "If I managed to score, it would be an additional bonus. But solid performance comes first." New Challenge Now, Hassan looks forward to a new challenge when Ahli play Zamalek for the second time in a week on Sunday. The Cairo derby will be staged this time for the Egyptian Super Cup. Ahli were crowned Egyptian Champions for the fourth successive season and Zamalek won the Cup. Both sides' ranks will be reinforced by new signings, who were not eligible to play in the African Champions League. Ahli will be reinforced with Egyptian-born and Qatari playmaker Hussein Yasser and another Ahmed Hassan, the former Mahalla forward. On the other hand, Zamalek will enjoy the presence of Brazilian left-winger Ricardo and talented midfielder Mahmoud Samir. And Hassan, a three-time winner of the African Cup of Nations with Egypt, can't wait for clinching his first title with Ahli. "It is like launching a brand new career with Ahli. I am hungry to win everything," he said. "I am looking forward to Sunday. I would be happy to win my first title with Ahli soon."
