Hilal's football director Sami Al-Jaber defended under-fire striker Ahmed Ali, whose below-par display against Sepahan Esfahan saw him face a baptism of fire. Ali joined the Saudi side from Ismaili in the winter transfer window on a loan basis and has been establishing himself as a starter over the past weeks. Many of Hilal's fans started to criticize the Egyptian international after the team's 2-1 home loss to Sepahan in the AFC Champions League early this month. But Hilal legend Al-Jaber assured that Ali only needs some time to prove his worth. "This criticism reminds me of that Swedish man Christian Wilhelmsson was subjected to in his first three months with Hilal," the Saudi Arabia great was quoted by al-jazirah.com as saying. "At the time, some fans called for his departure but he eventually proved all doubters wrong. "Ahmed's performances with Hilal are good and he still has the chance to do better. "I'm sure he will hit top form when he scores in a big game, it would definitely lift his spirits."
