Coach Hossam Al-Badri admitted on Sunday that most of Ahli's close-season signings did not come up to the team's standards. The Egyptian champions signed eight players in the summer, most of which arrived from second-division clubs. The likes of Mohamed Khalaf, Wael Shafik, Alaa Shaaban and Ateya Al-Belkasi were not given any chances to prove their worth. Central defender Al-Belkasi, who joined from relegated Olympic, was even loaned out to Libya's Ahli Benghazi. "Most of those players were not good enough to play," Al-Badri told Al-Wasl channel. Liberian striker Francis Doe and former Ismaili defender Sherif Abdul-Fadil enjoyed better fortunes as they are playing key roles with Ahli this season.
