Egypt's African Cup of Nations triumph demonstrated their supremacy in the Dark Continent but Essam Al-Hadari's abrupt departure from Ahli stole the limelight from the country's 2008 achievement. Media celebrations of Egypt's continental success had to take a back seat few days following the Nations Cup finale. The reason was quite clear – goalkeeper Al-Hadari, once called as the ‘High Dam' by Ahli's faithful, suddenly joined Swiss side Sion without the Egyptian champions' consent. His action incurred the wrath of Ahli supporters, who vowed to stand by substitute keeper Amir Abdul-Hamid to help him become the ideal successor to the veteran goalie. But neither Al-Hadari nor Abdul-Hamid enjoyed the 10 months they spent as regular keepers for their respective clubs. Al-Hadari was involved in several disputes with Sion's board and fans alike after a string of lackluster displays. The 35-year-old then said he would leave Sion in the January transfer window, with French Ligue 1 being his most likely destination. On the other hand, Abdul-Hamid faced a wave of criticism after failing to prove that he deserves a regular place in Ahli's starting line-up. Although he took part in Ahli's CAF Champions League triumph, Abdul-Hamid was consistently blamed by the team's supporters for any slip-up. He was deemed responsible for Ahli's Club World Cup disappointment after leaking four goals in the tournament's opener against Pachuca of Mexico. Sixth Title Egypt continued their splendid run under coach Hassan Shehata after clinching a record-breaking sixth Nations Cup title in Ghana in February. Africa's big guns like Cameroon and Ivory Coast were no match for the Pharaohs, who dazzled the world with their free-flowing football. Egypt advanced to the quarter-finals as the winners of Group C that included Cameroon, Zambia and Sudan. They then beat Angola and Ivory Coast en route to final before overcoming Cameroon once again with a 1-0 victory in the final to complete back-to-back Nations Cup triumphs. The tournament also helped several players rediscover their form on the international stage. Midfielder Hosni Abd-Rabou was voted the Nations Cup best player to atone for missing out on Egypt's 2006 victory due to injury. Then-Hamburg forward Mohamed Zidan, now at Borussia Dortmund, also shone after months of doubts over his commitment to the Egyptian national team. Amr Zaki, who scored four goals during the tournament, earned plaudits for his impressive displays and eventually joined English Premiership side Wigan Athletic. Mixed Year
Ahli ended the year on a low note and had their relationship with media strained Ahli, Egypt's most successful club, had highs and lows during 2008. They found no difficulty in winning the Egyptian League title for a fourth consecutive season but their hopes of clinching the double were dashed after a surprising first-round exit from the domestic cup at the hands of then second-division side Asyut Petroleum. The Red Devils went on to claim a memorable Champions League title, a record-breaking sixth continental triumph, to surpass five-time winners and arch-rivals Zamalek. Ahli were deemed Africa's invincible team and had sky-high hopes for the FIFA Club World Cup, which took place in Japan. But a disappointing campaign in December sharpened the knives for Ahli players and coach Manuel Jose, who were dubbed heroes couple of months earlier. The Cairo giants finished sixth in the seven-team tournament after suffering defeats to Mexico's Pachuca and the unfancied Adelaide of Australia. Portuguese coach Jose, who is considered the finest coach Ahli have had in their history, was accused of failing to make the right decisions in terms of strategies and substitutions. Other reasons for Ahli's below-par displays included a fragile defense and an ageing squad. Critics were further infuriated by comments made by Jose and several key players such as Mohamed Abou-Treika and Shadi Mohamed. Jose and his players not only hit back at criticism they believed was unjustified but also blamed the media for Ahli's failure. Consequently, Ahli ended the year on a low note and had their relationship with media strained. Not Enough Although Zamalek ended a three-season title drought by winning the Egyptian Cup after defeating ENPPI 2-1 in the final, their pains were far from over. Instead of building up on their triumph in Egypt's secondary competition, the White Knights recalled the form that saw them lose against many unfancied opponents during the past four years. Under coach Reiner Hollmann, who replaced Dutchman Ruud Krol in May, Zamalek virtually lost any hopes of competing for the Egyptian League title, which they last won in 2004. They suffered five defeats and drew three times in their first 14 games. Zamalek also crashed out of the CAF Champions League after finishing bottom of their group in the quarter-finals. The sacking of Hollmann and the appointment of Ahmed Refaat as Zamalek's interim coach did little to ease crisis. The defending champions ended the year by suffering a stunning exit from the cup round of 32 after losing to third-division side Bani Obeid. Future looks gloomy for the 11-time Egyptian champions.
