Ahli's head coach Hossam Al-Badri believes that he's totally different from his predecessor Manuel Jose. Al-Badri, who took charge of the Cairo club last summer, led his team to a 35th Egyptian Premier League triumph late in Arpil. Under his guidance, Ahli also reached the CAF Champions League group stage this month after clinching a 3-2 aggregate win over Lybia's Ittihad. Al-Badri's reward came in the form of a one-year contract extension that will keep him at Ahli for another season. Al-Badri, who used to be an assistant to Jose, was frequently compared with the highly-rated Portuguese tactician throughout this season. But the 50-year-old assured that he's cast in a very different mould from Jose.
Jose and Al-Badri "I've learned a lot from Jose but there are no similarities in our managerial styles, so we cannot be compared," he told FilGoal.com. Al-Badri looked on the verge of losing his job few weeks ago. He was heavily criticized after the Red Devils lost 2-0 at Libya's Ittihad in the first leg of the African Champions League round of 16. But after Ahli secured qualification for the competition's group stage and wrapped up a sixth consecutive League title, Al-Badri quelled doubts surrounding his future. "This decision was a reward for the challenges I faced with the team," he added. "Now I'm looking to win the Egyptian Cup and the African Champions League."
