Ahli assistant coach Hossam Al-Badri said Mohamed Abou-Treika's successful return after injury was the most important advantage of his side's 2-1 victory over Ittihad. The classy playmaker has made his first start since sustaining an ankle injury in Ahli's 2-2 draw with Petrojet last month. He opened the scoring against Ittihad with a superb 11th-minute free-kick. "Abou-Treika's return was a huge asset for us," Al-Badri told reporters after the game. "I just hope that Egyptian league defenders will not make clumsy tackles on him because the national team need all their players to be available for the World Cup qualifier against Zambia." Abou-Treika was replaced with central defender Mohamed Samir in the second half. "It was difficult for him to play full 90 minutes because he has just recovered from the ankle problem," Al-Badri added. Ahli, who aim to win a fifth consecutive league title, are in charge of the table on 48 points, seven ahead of second-placed Ismaili, who still have a game in hand. "Our win tonight was very important. All what matters now is claiming all three points every game," Al-Badri concluded.
