Ahli coach Manuel Jose does not agree that he is being unfair towards newcomers although he still prefers to fully rely on the old guard. The Red Devils signed a host of players in the close season but few of them had the chance to prove themselves. The likes of Ahmed Farag, Hani Al-Egeizi and Hussein Yasser showed glimpses of talent but Jose says that isn't the only way to obtain a regular first-team spot. The Portuguese coach cited lack of professionalism as a reason why some of the new faces are not featuring regularly. "Some of the recently-signed players are not professional enough, and sometimes get overwhelmed by our high ambitions," he said during a lengthy interview with Ahli TV. Jose did not clarify what he means by 'being not professional enough' but widespread reports suggested that the 62-year-old tactician was furious that some new-arrivals were not taking training seriously. The charismatic coach believes the benched players need time to be ready for a regular place. He referred to Ahli right-back Ahmed Sedik, who cemented his place with the African champions after warming the bench for a couple of seasons. "It took Sedik two years to earn the trust of the crowds, thence he became ready to take part in the pivotal matches without wasting his teammates' efforts," Jose elaborated. Jose's Policy has been to a great extent justified. With the old guard, Ahli managed to clinch a record-breaking sixth Champions League title after holding Coton Sport to a 2-2 draw in Cameroon to win 4-2 on aggregate. The current crop of players had the sufficient experience to deal with any obstacles, Jose believes. "Against all the odds, we played consistently and won the final match. The flight to Cameroon was exhaustedly long, the climate was extremely hot and the pitch was uneven," he commented. "We overcame all obstacles and managed to net an early opener to ensure our African triumph." Star-Studded Squad Many have expected that Ahli would stumble after landing a host of stars four years ago. The example of Spanish giants Real Madrid was quite obvious. The Spanish champions failed to claim a single trophy over three years despite having a multitude of prominent players. But Ahli avoided such hangover. They've gone from strength to strength to win several local and continental titles during the past few years.
Will Abou-Treika claim the Glo-CAF Best Player on the Continent award? Was discipline the key to success? "The team is the only star, no one can pull it off by himself. I have the final word on the team, and I am always right," Jose said firmly. "Anyone who breaks that rule would have to take off the red jersey." Ill-informed Players Despite enjoying a highly-successful spell with Ahli, the former Benfica manager says there is room for improvement. He believes that Egyptian players need extra efforts to develop their skills. "Egyptian players are ill-informed about both physical and physiological aspects, therefore it could be an uphill mission for a tactician to improve them," he explained. Jose assured that this problem is widely-spread among all Egyptian clubs, adding he called on Ahli's board to appoint a free-weight trainer and a physiatrist to help the players prepare for big games. "They don't have a clue about physiology. They don't know how to psyche themselves up ahead of important matches," he revealed. "They also have no idea about the human body, in term of weaknesses and strengths. They don't know how to protect themselves and how to enhance their agility or tone up their muscles." What's more, he emphasized on the importance of paying enough attention to the youth ranks, saying it would lead the Egyptian football to more success. "We need to concentrate on the young players and create a generation of well-educated youngsters who only need to practice football to flourish," he said. Abou-Treika Praise Jose heaped praise on classy playmaker Abou-Treika, asserting he definitely deserves the Glo-CAF Best Player on the Continent award in 2008. Abou-Treika's teammates Flavio Amado and Ahmed Hassan have been short-listed for the award as well, but Jose believes the former is a shoo-in. "It's a honor to have three players from Ahli nominated for the Glo-CAF Best Player on the Continent award," he added. However, he said the 30-year-old is not a frontrunner for the African best player award, given that the other nominees are prominent European-based figures such as Chelsea's Didier Drogba and Barcelona's Samuel Eto'o. The former Tersana man took a lot of credit for many of Ahli and Egypt achievements over the past few years. Abou-Treika is famously known for scoring a last-gasp goal that handed Ahli the 2006 Champions League title at the expense of Tunisia's Sfaxien.
