Ahli could not have hoped for a better chance to win the Egyptian Premier League title in a more emphatic fashion than the previous five seasons. A Cairo derby win over Zamalek will give them the ultimate prize. The Red Devils have every right not to be worried over their prospects of claiming a sixth consecutive league title, with nine points separating them from second-placed and arch-rivals Zamalek, who played a game more. A league triumph is a formality for an Ahli side who find no difficulty in ensuring their supremacy in Egyptian football but the ultimate satisfaction would be achieving that target at the expense of traditional foes Zamalek. A victory for Ahli will help them gain an unassailable 12-point lead over Zamalek, who will not be able to bridge that gap even if they win their remaining three games. "We want to win the title against Zamalek," veteran midfielder Ahmed Hassan, who has been inspirational for Ahli since joining in the summer of 2008 after his contract with Belgian giants Anderlecht expired, said. "Such a win will give the title a special taste, unlike the past few seasons." The first Cairo derby of the season ended goalless in December and Friday's one is expected to be balanced too. It will be the second battle between Ahli coach Hossam Al-Badri and Zamalek's Hossam Hassan, both of whom are eyeing their first derby win in their first season with the Cairo giants. Ahli will miss one regular player in the versatile Ahmed Fathi, whose presence usually gives the team much strength in midfield and assurance in defense when he plays as a right-back. The Egyptian international will not be available against Zamalek after sustaining a groin injury. Youngster Afrotto, a diminutive playmaker who is mainly used as a substitute, will also be missing due to an ankle injury.
Yasser motivated to excel Motivated Zamalek might have virtually lost hopes of competing for a league title they last won in 2004 but they will still be motivated to end their derby jinx, having not beaten Ahli since May 2007 when they overcame a second-string side. They will be looking to cement second place to earn a place in the African Champions League next season. The White Knights also aim to cap an impressive run under Hassan, who was appointed when they faced the unthinkable prospect of being relegated to the second division but worked his magic to lift them up to second. Attacking midfielder Hussein Yasser will come up against Ahli for the first time since leaving them in January after failing to prove his worth. He shone in several games with Zamalek and is determined to prove that Ahli were mistaken when they decided to let go of him. "I want to play well in my first derby, this is very important," the Egyptian-born Qatari international said. "I'm playing against my former team, but I'm not nervous. I'm focusing on giving it my all." Probable line-ups Ahli: Ahmed Adel, Ahmed Ali, Wael Gomaa, Sherif Abdul-Fadil, Sayed Moawad, Hossam Ashour, Mostafa Shebeita, Ahmed Hassan, Mohamed Barakat, Mohamed Abou-Treika, Emad Meteb Zamalek: Abdul-Wahed Al-Sayed, Ahmed Ghanem, Mahmoud Fathallah, Amr Al-Safti, Mohamed Abdul-Shafi, Ibrahim Salah, Hassan Mostafa, Hossam Arafat, Hussein Yasser, Shikabala, Ahmed Gaafar
