Ismaili assistant coach Ahmed Al-Agouz was unhappy that his side played in an almost empty stadium against Asyut Petroleum. The Dervishes claimed a 1-0 victory over Asyut to come within four points of Egyptian Premier League leaders Ahli. But they missed the presence of their spectators, who apparently did not overcome the disappointment of seeing Egypt draw with Zambia at home in the World Cup qualifiers. "I'm sad that our fans did not attend the match. We are not used to that," Al-Agouz told the post-match press conference. "I hope that they will stand by us in the coming period because we will play some tough games." Ismaili might still lack the support of their die-hard fans during the remaining home games in the league as Ismailia Stadium will be closed for renovations. The three-time league champions face a stadium dilemma as Egypt prepare to host the U-20 FIFA World Cup. The club initially announced that they would play at Cairo-based stadium Military Academy but backtracked later. Ismaili are yet to settle on the venue that will host their matches against Ghazl Mahalla, Zamalek and Tersana.
