Ahli assistant coach Alaa Maihoub was full of praise for his players after they clinched a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Police Union in the Egyptian Premier League on Wednesday. The Red Devils fell behind to Ahmed Galal's 31st-minute goal but a trademark shot by Egypt skipper Ahmed Hassan, who also scored in Ahli's opening victory over Ghazl Mahalla, restored parity shortly after. Substitute Hussein Yasser, who was given a new lease of life by coach Hossam Al-Badri, handed the Red Devils a precious win ten minutes from time via a deflected shot. "The players exerted lots of efforts today. They should be appreciated for such a great display," Maihoub, who usually speaks to media following matches instead of head coach Hossam Al-Badri, said. What made such a victory special for Ahli is that they played without a recognized striker for the majority of the game. The Cairo giants missed several frontmen, including the newly-signed Francis Doe who scored the winner against Mahalla, due to injury. Al-Badri fielded Hani Al-Egeizi as a lone striker but he failed to impress and was replaced before halftime. "We were not going to blame the players if the match ended in a draw but they rose to the occasion." It was the second successive league victory for holders Ahli, who got maximum points from two games under Al-Badri.
