Defeat sees Al Ahly coach quit
AL AHLY of Egypt coach Hossam el Badry quit on Tuesday after his team suffered a shock 2-0 defeat away to Kampala Capital City Authority of Uganda in the Caf Champions League group phase.
A statement by the club that has won the competition a record eight times, said El Badry had resigned and his post would be filled by another Ahly coach, Ahmad Ayoub.
“The football committee, chaired by [club president] Mahmoud al Khatib has accepted Hossam el Badry’s apology for not pursuing his mission and has assigned Ahmad Ayoub to lead the team.
Former Ahly defender El Badry was in his third spell as coach of the ‘Red Devils’ and led them to the 2012 Champions League title.
Ibrahim Saddam put the east African side ahead after 74 minutes in Namboole near Kampala.
Timothy Awany clinched a famous victory for the Ugandan outfit in the second Group A matchday, when he converted a penalty one minute from time.
Ahly have won a record 19 Caf titles, while City Authority reached the group phase of the elite African club competition for the first time this season. Defeat leaves Ahly with just one point after two rounds, having been held 0-0 at home by Esperance of Tunisia.
Kampala began with a 1-0 loss at fellow group newcomers Township Rollers of Botswana, making the Ahly clash a must-win affair for them to have a realistic chance of progress.
Group winners and runners-up advance to the quarterfinals of a competition offering a $2.5-million (R31million) first prize and a place in this year’s Fifa Club World Cup.
In the other Group A match, stellar goalkeeping by Mwampole Masule could not prevent Esperance defeating Rollers 4-1 in Rades near Tunis.
Rollers fell behind for the second time, 35 seconds into the second half, when Anice Badri scored and he struck again in stoppage time after Bilel Mejri added a third goal.
Victory lifted Esperance to the top of the standings with four points. Kampala and Rollers have three each and last year’s runners-up Ahly, one.
Away victories are rare in the group phase, but T P Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mouloudia Alger of Algeria bucked the trend in Group B.
Ben Malango claimed his sixth Caf goal this season and Aboubacar Sissoko his first as five-time champions Mazembe triumphed 2-0 over Difaa el Jadida of Morocco. Mouloudia left it late to snatch a 1-0 win against fellow Algerian club Entente Setif, with Amir Karaoui scoring on 89 minutes. — AFP