Zamalek's newly-appointed boss Hossam Hassan failed to get the team back to winning ways on his debut, as the Cairo side slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Harras Hodoud. The White Knights' sixth league loss left them in 12th place with 11 points only after 11 matches, to be equal in number of losses with bottom side Asyut Petroleum. Zamalek will take on leaders and defending champions Ahli on Tuesday in the Cairo derby, and a loss to their arch-rivals will see them slip to penultimate spot. However, Hassan believes that the five-time African champions' performance against Hodoud was by far promising. "We played well tonight against Hodoud and that fine display quelled any worries I had before meeting Ahli on Tuesday," Hassan said after the defeat. "I'm sure the team can overcome any problems before the Ahli clash, and all people will notice that Zamalek are improving. "For the first time this season, people could see an organized Zamalek side, unlike the past when they were playing in a haphazard manner." He also referred that the return of duo Amr Zaki and Mido, who were out of the game with injury and suspension respectively, would result in significant improvement. "The return of Mido and Zaki will make the difference. Their experience will benefit us in the upcoming period," Hassan added. Ahli Held Ittihad ended Ahli's five-match winning streak and unexpectedly held them to a 1-1 draw in Alexandria. The Red Devils had to play without several regular players, with Mohamed Abou-Treika, Mohamed Barakat, Emad Meteb and Moataz Eno sidelined with respective injuries. Consequently, youngsters Ahmed Shorki and Abdullah Farouk were fielded among other benchwarmers. Although he was disgruntled with the stalemate, Ahli assistant coach Alaa Maihoub expressed his delight at the fringe players' performance.
Ittihad, Ahli share spoils "The young players proved their worth, and that was the most important thing for us in this game," he added. On the other hand, Ittihad assistant coach Mohamed Nour is convinced that his side missed out on a deserved victory over Ahli on Thursday. "We mostly controlled the match and could have claimed all three points, but we failed," he said. "Even when Ahli got the upper hand they weren't really efficient. We were close to recording a victory, but it eventually slipped away." Ittihad had an abysmal start to the season after failing to claim a single win in their first six games. But after the appointment of Brazilian coach Carlos Cabral, they ended their winless run and moved away from the relegation zone. More Games Ismaili beat Police Union 1-0 to close the gap on Ahli, who are now only five points clear on top. Gaish made an impressive progress and advanced to third place upon beating Military Production 2-1. After losing their two opening games, Farouk Gaafar's side notably improved and enjoyed a fruitful run that saw them close to within six points of leaders Ahli. Fourth-placed Petrojet could have moved up to second spot with 23 points, but they were held to a 1-1 draw by Asyut Petroleum who are yet to register their maiden victory. ENPPI are now in fifth place with 16 points after beating Mansoura 1-0. Gouna have registered their first win since September over Ghazl Mahalla by the same score line. Arab Contractors and Masri played out a 1-1 draw.
