Outbursts and accusations against the referees summed up a heated round in the Egyptian Premier League, with their controversial decisions grabbing headlines. Ahli coach Hossam Al-Badri stood out after ranting against the Egyptian FA and referee Mohamed Abbas, who was in charge of his side's 1-1 draw with Harras Hodoud in Alexandria. Hodoud, who also held Ahli to a draw in the reverse league fixture last year, put the Cairo giants on the back foot after eight minutes in controversial fashion. Striker Ahmed Abdul-Ghani, who appeared in an offside position in the build-up to the goal, sent in a low cross that caused havoc in the Ahli area before Egypt forward Ahmed Eid pounced to fire a low shot past Ekrami. Ahli secured a share of spoils through a goal from Emad Meteb shortly after the break but Al-Badri could not hide his frustration and anger. "I usually don't attend post-match conferences, but I came here to ask the Egyptian FA some questions," the 49-year-old said after the game. "Are you trying to prevent Ahli from winning the title? The referee's decisions today indicate that the EFA is conspiring against us. "Hodoud's goal was clearly offside; the referee should have disallowed it. "Our opponents repeatedly fouled my players and wasted time, but no decision was taken against them." Zamalek needed a late strike from Ahmed Gaafar to beat Arab Contractors 1-0 for their fifth successive victory under coach Hossam Hassan to narrow the gap with the top four. Hassan, who is known for his fiery temper, failed to maintain the calm stance he has adopted since the start of the season after TV cameras caught him yelling at the referee. Contractors also criticized the official for awarding Zamalek an 'invalid goal', saying that striker Gaafar was offside when he ran onto a pass from playmaker Alaa Ali. Military Production, who earned plaudits for their fine results in their first season in the top flight, were held to a goalless draw by bottom side Mansoura, who played their first match under new coach Ashraf Qasem.
Petrojet outclass Ismaili The referee did not escape criticism, with Military coach Tarek Yehia hitting out at him for turning down two penalty claims. Petrojet Determination Petrojet leapfrogged Ismaili into second place after defeating them 3-1 away from home, thanks to goals from Ghanaian attacking midfielder Cofie Bekoe, forward Al-Sayed Hamdi and playmaker Walid Soliman. The petroleum club, who are seven points behind leaders Ahli with a game in hand, usually excel in the first half of the league before beginning to falter at the halfway stage. They vowed to push the Red Devils all the way this term. "We are determined to maintain our fine run of results. We will prove that we can compete for the title," Petrojet coach Mokhtar Mokhtar said after the game. "We have been making steady progress since our promotion to the Premier League in 2006, so the logical outcome is that we should finish on top or at least in second place." Last season's runners-up Ismaili slipped to third, one point behind Petrojet, after struggling to find creativity, with playmaker Abdullah Saied being their only source of imagination. Mohamed Nagi 'Geddo' once again failed to show glimpses of his Nations Cup heroics but Ittihad still managed to claim a 1-0 victory over Gaish after Mahmoud Shaker converted a second-half penalty. The Alexandria-based club, enjoying a revival under Brazilian coach Carlos Cabral, moved up to sixth in the table with 26 points from 18 matches. Second-bottom Asyut Petroleum maintained their slim hope of avoiding relegation when they secured a surprise 2-1 win over Ghazl Mahalla, their second victory this season. They are still seven points adrift of safety. Masri extended their unbeaten streak under German boss Theo Buecker to three games after a 1-1 draw with Police Union. ENPPI, who were defeated by Zamalek in their previous match, returned to winning ways with a 1-0 victory over relegation-threatened Gouna, thanks to a header from Egypt winger Ahmed Al-Muhammadi.
