1-Mali nightmare! Out of an arduous campaign packed with high-profile contests, the tie that could well be labeled as Ahli's toughest was the round of 16 double-header against Stade Malien. It started with a 1-0 first-leg defeat; a disappointing result that later proved to be the least of Ahli's concerns from an irritating trip to Bamako. Much to the misfortune of the Reds squad, who were still stressed by the aftermath of the Port-Said disaster, political unrest broke out in Bamako as a counter-coup attempt forced the visiting team to remain stranded for two extra days after their game. Knowing that they need more than one goal to make the group stage, Ahli were further stunned by an unforeseen first-half strike from the Malians in Cairo, adding yet more strain to the ominous tie. Now starring an early exit in the face, the six-time champs needed something special from their legendary playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika, who came off the bench to inspire Manuel Jose's side with a superb second-half hat-trick, clinching a hard-fought berth to the last eight. 2-Jose out! Very few would have imagined that the thrilling win over Stade Malien would be Jose's last game in charge, but the Portuguese made his decision and left before the group stage. The majority of Ahli fans were shocked to see their favorite manager go midway through the Champions League campaign, with no one expecting the team to progress without ‘The Magician'. Then came the reappointment of Hossam Al-Badri as head coach; a decision that has been anything but welcomed by the Reds faithful, who were not exactly impressed by the previous spell of Jose's ex-assistant. However, Al-Badri - who returned after guiding Sudan's Merreikh to the league title - seemed to be increasingly gaining the confidence of the fans who doubted his credentials. Impressive wins against Mazembe and Berekum Chelsea, plus a victory over perennial rivals Zamalek indicated that Al-Badri has become a more established coach than the man who used to sit on Ahli's bench two years earlier. A noteworthy input saw him switch from Jose's traditional 3-5-2 formation into his favorite 4-2-3-1 in no time, with the team showing no side effects by the significant tactical alteration. 3-Super Cup saga and ultras confrontation After securing a place in the Champions League semis, Ahli were braced for their first domestic fixture since February's Port-Said calamity; the Egyptian Super Cup against ENPPI. But the meeting was preceded by massive controversy sparked by the club's ultras fans, who vehemently rejected the resumption of football before ‘justice is served' in the Port-Said case.
Al-Badri was the right man to replace Jose Still suffering from the paranoia of the tragic incident, the whole nation feared the worse as Ultras Ahlawy and Ultras Red Devils threatened to disrupt the ENPPI game, yet a gloomy affair eventually went ahead without further trouble. Despite the drama of a 2-1 injury-time victory, the thriller was completely overshadowed by the off-pitch saga, which cost Ahli the support of their most passionate fans and most prominent player. Ahli's ultras turned against the first-team players and board alike, accusing them of being ‘passive' toward the Port-Said disaster case. Moreover, the ultras rage was coupled by an even more severe blow, which resulted in the two-month suspension of Ahli's talisman Abou-Treika for his refusal to take part in the ENPPI game. 4-Chelsea favor Following the 2-0 defeat at Mazembe, Ahli were in serious danger of losing top spot to the DR Congo giants, meaning they will have to face defending champions Esperance in the semi-final. Ahead of the final group-stage round, leaders Mazembe had Chelsea away while Ahli were about to take on arch-rivals Zamalek in a desperate attempt to reclaim the group summit. But the Reds found themselves trailing by a goal as Mazembe looked firm favorites to retain their position and avoid a crunch semi-final clash with Esperance. Mohamed Barakat's equalizer against Zamalek was still not enough as the stalemate in Ghana meant that Mazembe remain in charge of the group. However, an 80th minute strike from Darko Opoko gave Chelsea a narrow win over Mazembe, dramatically sending the four-time champions to a deadly encounter in Tunis and saving the day for Ahli. 5-The rebirth of Hamdi Before Ahli's semi-final tie with Sunshine Stars of Nigeria, Al-Sayed Hamdi was no more than a fringe player regarded as one of the favorites to be shown the door in the near future. But the rediscovery of the Egypt international proved a masterstroke by Al-Badri, given the significant input the striker had produced during the late stages of the Champions League. In his first appearance under Al-Badri, Hamdi scored a goal and set up another in the 3-3 draw at Sunshine, before stamping his mark with an even more influential display in the final. The unfancied Petrojet recruit came off the bench to hit a crucial equalizer in the 1-1 first-leg draw with Esperance, while providing Geddo with a brilliant assist in the decisive 2-1 win in Tunis. Hamdi's influence in the final meant that the EGP 8million for his services was money well-spent.
