No doubt that competition in the Egyptian Premier League this term is significantly tough, but who deserves the champion tag? In my opinion that none of Zamalek, Ahli or Ismaili deserve such a prestigious title, which is likely to be an historic feat in the ‘Year of the Revolution'. This is not because of any technical deficiency, but simply due to the silly and childish behavior of officials related to Egypt's top trio. Talking about football has become a rare substance after league matches, something that we can only see from pundits in post-match studios. Zamalek's management only speaks about unfair refereeing, conspiracies against the team, the hot weather of Hurghada or the black magic made by the opposition before the dressing rooms! And when the team loses, the Hassan twins never take responsibility and the players are soon at fault because ‘they do not deserve the efforts of the managing staff'. As for Ahli, no one is talking about the dismal performance of the team as most of the comments emanating from the Red club have been limited to protesting and boycotting press conferences. For example, no explanation was made by the Ahli management on why Sayed Moawad, Egypt's first-choice left-back, remained on the bench while the right-footed Ahmed Fathi switched to the left flank in the match against Ittihad. Finally, Ismaili are increasingly justifying their title credentials thanks to the magnificent squad of players in their possession, plus the presence of a competent Egyptian manager in Emad Soliman. However, such technical stability could well be destroyed by the wave of incessant protesting from the officials of the coastal club. It is almost every 24 hours when an Ismaili board member comes out to reflect the club's objection against refereeing or against the FA or even against the Tax Administration!! I was really astounded by comments from an Ismaili board member saying: “Does the Tax Administration want to stop Ismaili from winning the league?!” This is all because the administration asked the crisis-hit club to pay their late dues! Zamalek have an excellent squad and the efforts of manager Hossam Hassan can be seen in the team spirit, but the Whites are in dire need for focus if they are to stand any chance of dethroning Ahli this term. This focus attribute can easily be ruined by the ceaseless talk of Hossam Hassan's twin brother Ibrahim, who rarely gives a controversy-free quote. Similarly, Ahli are the league holders and they simply boast the core of the Egypt national team, but they need to look for solutions amid their poor displays instead of blaming referees, associations and even opposition players for ‘wasting time'. Finally, I hope Ismaili officials would leave Soliman and his crew to work peacefully and I am sure that the Tax Administration will not be the reason for the Dervishes' failure by any means!
