Ahli's veteran midfielder Ahmed Hassan said on Sunday he did not have any concerns over the team's new 4-4-2 formation. Hossam Al-Badri has surprisingly opted to switch the team's traditional 3-5-2 system after succeeding Manuel Jose as head coach. He deployed the new strategy during four pre-season friendlies and is likely to use it again when the Egyptian champions meet cup winners Harras Hodoud in the Super Cup on Tuesday. "We are not unfamiliar with that formation, the technical staff employed it in several games last season," Egypt skipper Hassan told Ahli's official website. "Anyway, the decision to use it next season is not definite, We can change it whenever we need to." The majority of Egyptian clubs prefer to use a sweeper to close down spaces behind the two stoppers. Pundits believe local-based defenders are not qualified to play without the presence of a sweeper. Some clubs tried to field just central defenders in recent years but most of them failed to impress that way.
Hodoud were the only side to taste success without the traditional 3-5-2 formation, putting in a string of impressive displays and winning the 2008 cup – their first ever trophy. Same Impact Hassan joined Ahli last summer after his contract with Belgian giants Anderlecht expired. He soon made his presence felt, scoring a free-kick that helped Ahli defeat arch-rivals Zamalek 2-0 in the Super Cup. The 34-year-old is hoping he can have another fine night against an in-form Hodoud side. "We all want to repeat our last year's triumph. I also want to make the same impact," he added. "The players are determined to do their best and kick off the season in the best possible way."
