Egypt skipper Ahmed Hassan paid tribute to former Ahli coach Hossam Al-Badri, saying the 50-year-old, among others, helped him win the African-based Player of the Year award. The Ahli star beat off competition from his compatriot Geddo and TP Mazembe ace Alain Dioko to scoop CAF's prestigious accolade on Monday. Hassan says many people are credited with his individual achievement, including his teammates and Al-Badri. "Al-Badri was my coach in 2010 and he's definitely one of those people who take credit for this prize," said the veteran midfielder, who's still nursing a cruciate ligament injury. "I would like to thank him for what he did to me and Ahli, and I wish him the best of luck with his new journey at Merreikh." Al-Badri, who resigned as Ahli coach right after the Egyptian champions' embarrassing 3-1 defeat by Ismaili last month, was slated by numerous pundits on many occasions this year. He was blamed for his inability to keep the Red Devils on an even keel after his team put in lackluster performances and suffered a string of unsatisfying results on all fronts. It's understood that Hassan fell out with Al-Badri, who was recently appointed by Sudan's Merreikh, while the latter was still in charge of Ahli.
