Zamalek had no choice but to relieve coach Henri Michel of his duties after the team slumped to a 2-0 defeat to lowly Police Union on Sunday - their fifth loss in 10 games. The ailing Cairo giants once again failed to find the spark needed to break down opposition but were also vulnerable at the back. A free header from Nigerian striker Minusu Buba and a Samuel Kyere strike either side of the interval condemned Zamalek to their fourth defeat in seven games under Michel, who had no explanation for the team's poor displays. "We were facing the same problems in each match; we control the game and get a number of scoring chances but we always fail to translate our dominance into goals," the Frenchman told the post-match press conference. "My incessant attempts to improve Zamalek were to no avail," he admitted, few hours before being shown the door. To rub salt into the wounds, Shikabala was involved in a heated exchange with his own fans for the third time this season after they hurled insults at him. Cameras then caught the talented winger, along with promising right-back Hazem Emam, bursting into tears few minutes from time. Under Michel, who replaced Swiss coach Michel Decastel early in the season, Zamalek, who had never been relegated to the second division, became one of the relegation-threatened teams. They lie 10th in the 16-team table on 11 points, just one point above the danger zone.
Ahli maintain comfortable lead Intact Lead Defending champions Ahli, who eye a sixth successive league crown, managed to keep a six-point lead at the top intact with another easy victory. They cruised to a 2-0 home victory over Arab Contractors, thanks to goals from towering striker Mohamed Fadl and in-form midfielder Ahmed Hassan, who took his tally to six goals in 10 games. Although Contractors squandered several clear-cut opportunities to stun the hosts, Ahli's win never seemed in doubt. They claimed all three points for the fifth match in a row without the presence of inspirational playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika, who faces around six weeks on the sidelines with a foot injury. Midfielder Moataz Eno, who damaged the anterior cruciate ligament, and striker Emad Meteb, who was injured while on international duty, were also missing. "The performance is usually affected when missing so many players," Ahli coach Hossam Al-Badri said. "But the players were very good and could fill the void and keep the winning run." Petrojet and last season's runners-up Ismaili remained in the title race with victories over Masri and Ghazl Mahalla respectively.
Petrojet defeat Masri Mokhtar Mokhtar's Petrojet, who are six points adrift of Ahli, made up for their defeat against the Red Devils last week to register a narrow 1-0 win at Masri in Port Said. Ghanaian in-form striker Eric Bekoe, who is now on top of the scorers' chart with eight goals, scored the winner on 62 minutes. "The players learned from their mistakes against Ahli, that's why we won tonight," coach Mokhtar said after the game. Ismaili, still without recognized strikers, remained seven points behind fierce rivals Ahli with a last-gasp 1-0 win over Mahalla, who failed to build on their surprising victory at Zamalek last week. Defender Moatasem Salem headed home two minutes into stoppage time to give the Dervishes a precious win. Gaish, who boast the league's most effective strike force, moved into fourth spot with a 3-1 win over Mansoura. Ittihad maintained their unbeaten run under Brazilian coach Carlos Cabral, beating stuttering Harras Hodoud 1-0 with a goal from striker Mohamed Ragab. Sixth-placed ENPPI extended their winless streak to five games after a 1-1 draw at Asyut Petroleum while Military Production secured their second win in three matches after defeating Gouna 2-0.
