Egypt puts best foot forward

Following three wins and one minor setback, four Egyptian football teams won kudos at the beginning of major African championships. Abeer Anwar reports
Redoubtable all the way
Zamalek of Egypt, champions a record four times, were convincing victors again, thrashing Patriotic Army of Rwanda 6-0 in the first game for both teams in the African Champions League.
The rout rendered the return leg in two weeks in Rwanda virtually meaningless.
In Cairo on Saturday, Zamalek was uncompromising from the start, clearly aware of the proceedings the night before when Ahli, the other Egyptian club in the tournament, was taken by surprise by unfancied Oserian Fastac of Kenya.
Zamalek was determined to take Army seriously and veteran striker Hossam Hassan set the tone from the outset, opening the score after just two minutes. Before the half was over, four more goals would settle into Army's net as the Rwandans were left reeling after every blow.
While Hassan's goal paved the way for the onslaught-to-be, midfielder Hazem Emam and Mohamed Abdel-Wahab provided the most memorable strikes.
Abdel-Wahab's pile driver from outside the area would qualify for CNN's Play of the Day while Emam waltzed his way into the penalty box before threading the ball past a wall of legs and the Army goalkeeper.
Decimated, the visitors tried to get back into the match in the second half but Zamalek gave the visitors no room to breathe, let alone manoeuvre. One more goal by Mohamed Sabri had probably the opposite effect on Zamalek. Only then, when Zamalek had scored half a dozen times, did they finally relieve the pressure, leaving Army to have more say in midfield but still with little opportunity to score even a face-saver.
Flower power
Ahli launched their defence of the African Champions League title with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Oserian Fastac of Kenya in Cairo.
The winner from star striker Khaled Bibo arrived with just 60 seconds of regulation time left at the 100,000-seat Cairo Stadium.
Unfancied Oserian went ahead after 37 minutes when Ahmed El-Sayed conceded an own goal. Bibo levelled two minutes later for the three-time African champions in a first round, first-leg clash.
Egypt's Ahli, seeking to emulate Egyptian rivals Zamalek and win the top club prize on the continent for a record-equalling fourth time, were a far shadow of themselves, never reaching the form which made them Africa's team of the century.
So disappointing was the club at last Friday's match that their supporters jeered the players off the field when they scored the game winner.
Clearly, part of the problem was underestimating their opponents. Oserian was established only seven years ago. Based in Naivasha, 100 kilometres northwest of Nairobi, the club was founded to occupy the spare time of workers in a company that exports flowers to Europe. Forced to pre-qualify, Champions League debutantes Oserian Fastac defeated Electricity of Ethiopia 1-0 at home and 2-1 away last month to earn a shot at the 1982, 1987 and 2001 African champions.
Ahli were founded in 1904 and have been a force in continental competitions since their introduction four decades ago. They won the Champions League title in December with a 4-1 aggregate triumph over Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa.
Bibo contributed handsomely when Ahli won the leading Pan-African club competition last year, scoring seven goals, including a hat-trick in the second leg of the final.
A draw or a win would see Ahli through to Round 16. But the squad struggled on three previous Champions League visits to the East African country, drawing 1-1 with AFC Leopards in 1981, losing 2-1 to the same club six years later and falling 1-0 to Tusker in the 2000 edition.
This year's Champions League field includes eight former winners, making it one of the strongest yet to contest the trophy.
Bad memories aside
Erasing memories of a disastrous African outing three years ago, Misri comfortably defeated Mathary of Kenya 2-0 in the first leg of the Federation Cup.
In Port Said on Sunday, the home team took the lead in the 15th minute and added an insurance goal after Mathary's goalkeeper and defence failed to clear the ball.
It was the second appearance for Misri in African championships; they would rather forget their first experience. In the 1999 Cup Winners' Cup, they reached the semi-final and had done the hard part by drawing with Tunisia's Club Africain 0-0 away in the first leg. In Port Said, though, Misri were drubbed 4-0 in one of the most stunning and most lopsided upsets in Egyptian club football.
Misri appeared to have shaken off the after- affects of that traumatic loss and dictated the match against Mathary -- not least because the Kenyan club was relatively weak and cannot possibly be compared to Club Africain, a traditional powerhouse.
Misri got on the scoreboard early with the help of the opposing goalkeeper who held the ball for more than the allotted seven seconds. From the ensuing free kick just outside the penalty box, Ahmed Koshari struck confidently to the left of the keeper whose view was partially obstructed by the sea of legs in front of him.
Mathary's net-minder was also partly responsible for goal No 2 after he and a defender both jumped to clear a cross. The defender got there first, bumping the goalkeeper out of position. With the goal empty, Mustafa Gaafar had only to tap the ball in for a lead in the 40th minute that his team would not relinquish.
The victory does not ensure an automatic passage for Misri into the second round. As they know all too well, African football can offer a few nasty surprises.
The Federation Cup is a relatively new African championship, designed for clubs that finish in second place in their domestic league.
Losers have hope
Ghazl El-Mehalla, making their first African appearance in 27 years, took a decent score back to Egypt in the first round of the Cup Winners' Cup.
Though the Egyptians lost 2-1 to Express of Uganda, Mehalla's job will be made easier when the second leg is played at home. The away goals rule means a 1-0 victory will suffice.
The picture could have been bleaker for the Nile Delta players had Express continued their surge after scoring twice in succession in the first half. Their first goal came from a suspect penalty but the second was a gem as the diligent Andrew Musaka sneaked by the unprepared Mehalla defence. Mahmoud Sobhi made his club's day -- and considerably brightened its future -- when he headed home the all- important away goal from close range in the 70th minute.
Ghazl El-Mehalla is not new to African championships, having lost to Congo Brazzaville's Cara in the final in 1974 and to Nigeria's Enugu Rangers in the semi-final in 1975. As losing finalists in Egypt's cup -- winner Ahli is busy defending its Champions League title -- this is Mehalla's first shot at the Cup Winners' trophy.
Their history says that while Mehalla have some African experience, they are not in the habit of winning, and their losing ways continued in Kampala on Saturday. They started hesitantly, the players unable to cope with the momentous occasion.
Mehalla's form, however, significantly improved in the second half, forcing Express to drop their first-half attacking strategy and scramble instead to defend their lead.
Ghazl El-Mehalla were the only Egyptian squad in the three African club competitions to have played away last week. They put on a gutsy show after falling behind so early and hope to be rewarded in the second leg in the more hospitable confines of their home ground.
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