A fine run in the hardly competitive Egyptian Premier League convinced Ahli there was no need for defensive reinforcements despite the quite obvious gaps at the back. The January transfer window could have been an opportunity for Ahli to address their defensive fragilities which cost them dearly this season. But the Red Devils turned a blind eye towards the whole issue, encouraged by a five-match winning streak in the league that included victories over rivals Zamalek and Ismaili. "If our defense is so awful like they say (media), then we wouldn't have been top by now," Ahli assistant coach Hossam Al-Badri said after the 1-0 victory over Harras Hodoud. Al-Badri spoke in a relaxed and confident manner after Ahli kept a clean sheet in five consecutive league games. But Ahli's oppositions in Egypt's premier competition barely pose a threat to the six-time African champions, who are looking to win a fifth successive league title. The Cairo giants' defense was not really tested during the recent winning run but when it faced sterner challenges a month ago some horrendous errors came up. During the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, Ahli lost against Pachuca and Adelaide after leaking five goals during both matches to finish sixth in the seven-team tournament. Earlier this month, Ahli exited the Egyptian Cup after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Harras Hodoud in the competition's round of 16. The sole goal came after a neatly-worked counter attack found Ahli defense in tatters. "My forwards used their pace to take advantage of the gaps in Ahli's defense," Hodoud manager Tarek Al-Ashri said after the game. Ahli solely base their assessment of defense on the league campaign rather than having a wider outlook.
If we signed new players just to cover our needs we won't sign anyone, because Ahli's current squad is perfect Imbalanced Activity Several pundits criticized Ahli's imbalanced activity in the January transfer window. The club are intensifying their efforts to sign a new striker despite having five frontmen at their disposal. Jose relies on Flavio Amado as a lone striker, with Ahmed Belal and Osama Hosni serving as the Angolan's back-ups. Ahmed Hassan Farag and Hani Al-Egeizi have been given limited opportunities since joining in the summer from Ghazl Mahalla and Baladeya respectively. They had no time to prove their worth. Instead of giving the duo a deserved chance, Ahli handed a trial to Brazilian striker Gilian and opened talks with Ahli Dubai over signing their Egyptian youngster Mohamed Talaat. "We go for any good player in any position," Ahli's marketing director Adli Al-Qaeyi recently said. "If we signed new players just to cover our needs we won't sign anyone, because Ahli's current squad is perfect." Despite Al-Qaeyi words, Ahli struggled to fill in for sweeper Emad Al-Nahhas, who has been out of action since April 2008 due to a serious knee injury. Central defender Shadi deputized for him but failed to impress in his new position. However, Ahli still believe they do not have rearguard problems. Watch Ahli's defensive errors
