Ismaili kickoff their season with a regional clash against Algeria's JS Kabylie in the Champions League group stage on Sunday night. While both teams eye a good start, hopes are high that the match would be another attempt to clear the air between the North African rivals Egypt and Algeria, following the unforgettable tension of last year's World Cup qualifiers. Ahead of the CAN 2010 semi-final clash in January, a friendly pre-match mood dominated, but the 90 minutes in Benguela were relatively ill-tempered, with three Algerian players going off in the 4-0 drubbing. This time Ismailia governor Abdul-Galil Al-Fakharani ensured that the Algerian contingent would receive a warm greeting upon arrival in the coastal city. On the other hand, manager Mark Wotte is only focused on making a winning debut with the Dervishes. "It will be a difficult match, since it is the opener. The start is usually decisive," the Dutchman said.
"The competition is tough and our opponents are really strong, but we are looking for a win in the opening game." Team news Ismaili have been rocked by the news that Hosni Abd-Rabou will be ruled out for six months after damaging knee ligaments in a warm-up match last week. The talismanic Egypt midfielder joins long-term absentees Abdullah Al-Saied and Omar Gamal in the Dervishes ever-increasing injury list. Unsettled defender Moatasem Salem has been dropped for missing training, amid his persistence to leave the club. Former Ahli skipper and four-time Champions League winner Shadi Mohamed is expected to take Salem's place at the heart of defense. At the other end, Kabylie will miss new signing Billel Naili through injury, as well as midfielder Idriss Ech-Chergui. Top scorer Sid Ali Yahia-Cherif is a major doubt.
