Ahli assistant coach Hossam Al-Badri admitted that his side's backline has been operating poorly of late, following the 2-2 draw at Asyut Petroleum on Monday. Manuel Jose's team conceded for the sixth game running, despite making a slight change in defense by bringing in Mohamed Samir for Shadi Mohamed and Ahmed Ali for Ahmed Sedik. Al-Badri lamented Ali's red card decision, but also voiced his concern with the Red Devils' defense. "The red card cost us a lot, but I think Ali did not deserve to be sent off, because the first booking was too harsh," Al-Badri said after the game. "We are aware that we had some defensive problems in recent weeks, but the little space between fixtures made it difficult for us to make amends. "Playing a game every 72 hours must have an effect on all teams in the league." Determination Nonetheless, the former Ahli midfielder was satisfied with the overall performance of his team, which played for more than an hour with a man down. "I want to thank the team for their determination to win the game until the last second. We also have to say that we missed a number of influential players," he added. Ahli were without injured midfield duo Mohamed Barakat and Mohamed Abou-Treika, who both represent a great deal of the African champions' strike force.
