Gouna coach Ismail Youssef rubbished rumors indicating that his side fixed Thursday's Egyptian Premier League draw with champions Ahli to avoid relegation. A second-string Ahli side settled for a goalless draw at Gouna, who remained three points above the danger zone with just one match remaining. "Whoever accuses us of match-fixing should watch the game again," Youssef, who is guiding Gouna in their first season in the top flight, told FilGoal.com on Friday. "Ahli did not sympathize with us, they wasted several chances which could have given them a victory. "Our morals and principles will never allow us to fix any game, those claims are ridiculous." Match-fixing rumors usually arise at the end of the season when the relegation battle hots up. Gouna faced a stiff challenge against Ahli, who won a sixth successive league title, but secured a valuable draw that put them on the brink of Premier League safety. They are three points clear of third-from-bottom Ghazl Mahalla. A draw in Gouna's last game against Masri will be enough to guarantee their safety. "I'm happy that we drew with Ahli, it is a very good result," former Zamalek midfielder Youssef added.
