Defending champions Ahli entertain Zamalek in a crunch Cairo derby that could well decide the 2010-2011 Egyptian Premier League title. The Egyptian Clasico has hardly been decisive during the past few years, which witnessed the domination of the Red Devils on the domestic scene. This time though Zamalek have a chance to revive their glory days with a rare victory over Manuel Jose's side, who could also seal a sixth straight title by beating Hossam Hassan and Co. Despite the recent turmoil, there has been one suggestion emanating from the White camp during the past few days; that a victory on Wednesday would send Zamalek back on track for the title challenge. “We always go into the derby match looking for a win and this time our hopes of winning the title can be renewed,” said star striker Amr Zaki, who will miss the game through injury. Midfielder Ibrahim Salah added: “I was very sad after we lost at Masri, but I think a victory over Ahli can send us back in contention. We can reduce the deficit to two points, which can be covered in the remaining weeks.” Zamalek's optimistic vision is rather justified given their superb comeback in the 2002-2003 season, when they downed Ahli 3-1 to close the gap to two points three weeks before clinching the title on the final day. Curiously, the opening goal of that crucial victory eight years ago was scored by Hassan, who will be on the Zamalek bench this time. Form Even though they've been in charge of the league table for most of the season, Zamalek's recent form saw them relinquish a six-point gap to trail their arch-rivals by five.
Hassan's men have been dropping points for fun this year, losing 15 points out of a possible 33 since the second half of the season has been resumed. On the other hand, Ahli have just drawn twice under Jose against Masri and Military Production, making a hard-fought journey to the summit, which they only reached last week. The defending champions are on a four-match winning streak and an outstanding 17-game unbeaten run, stretching back from the reign of Jose's predecessor Abdul-Aziz Abdul-Shafi ‘Zizo'. Team news Apart from Zaki, Zamalek were rocked by the news that midfield pillar Hassan Mostafa will not be fit to face his boyhood club due to a dislocated shoulder. Ahli, on the other hand, will miss talismanic playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika, who has been out of action for two months with a nagging calf problem. Mohamed Fadl, Mohamed Shawky and Ahmed Shokri are all ruled out with injuries, while out-of-favor striker Osama Hosni was dropped again. Security concerns In addition to the usual tension surrounding Egypt's top domestic game, concerns over are rather doubled this time, with the exceptional conditions the country has been encountering over the past few months. This was reflected when Minister of Interior Mansour Al-Essawi met with both clubs' chairmen this week to discuss the security issue ahead of the game. In the same context, Egypt's Military Junta, the nation's current leading authority, issued a statement on Tuesday urging supporters to remain calm and warned of using fireworks at Cairo Stadium.
