The vast experience Ahli players gained from their African adventures was barely evident after they failed to withstand pressure to controversially lose 1-0 at Esperance and exit the CAF Champions League. The Cairo giants could not repair the damage of a blatant handball by Esperance's Nigerian striker Michael Eneramo few seconds after the kick-off which helped the Tunisians reach the final on the away-goal rule. The goal, which was surprisingly allowed to stand by Ghanaian referee Joseph Lamptey, was the beginning of a series of controversial first-half decisions that went against Ahli. Instead of making the most of their experience to stay calm and accomplish the footballing business, Ahli players were widely blamed for failing to stand the heat. "Experience, what experience?" renowned pundit Hassan Al-Mestekawi sarcastically said in a television interview after Ahli's loss which denied them what would have been a fifth appearance in the Champions League final in six years. "Whatever the decisions of the referee, Ahli players completely failed in their test of nerves." The likes of Mohamed Barakat, Hossam Ashour, Mohamed Abou-Treika and Wael Gomaa were part of Ahli's Champions League winning squads in 2005, 2006 and 2008. They endured several tough encounters against North African rivals, the games which are traditionally tense and full of controversial and sometimes ugly incidents due to the heated rivalries in that region. But playmaker Abou-Treika was probably the only one who looked serene, with Gomaa, Barakat and Ashour engaging in repeated arguments with Esperance players who were deemed provocative by Egyptian media.
Lamptey was fiercely criticized by Egyptian media Mercurial midfielder Barakat cost Ahli dearly when he received a red card for shoving Esperance's Khaled Korbi in an off-ball incident on the half hour, forcing his side to play with ten men for the remainder of the game. "It was not a football game. All we saw was anger, protests and fights," Al-Mestekawi added. "Ahli players were easily affected, starting to throw punches at the opposition like Hossam Ashour who should have probably been sent off. "TV cameras spot everything these days. I'm sorry that Ahli players could not handle that situation." Ahli Excuses While Egyptian media pointed the finger at Ahli's experienced players for failing to control their temper, coach Hossam Al-Badri was so exasperated that he could not observe anything but the referee's blunders. "The game was over before the kickoff. I feel sorry because we play football in Africa, where referees do whatever they want," he fumed. "Of course I'm not satisfied with the refereeing, and with all due respect Esperance didn't deserve to qualify for the competition final. "We didn't put in a good performance but neither did they."
Al-Badri says the match was fixed Esperance responded by insisting that Sunday's result was a fair one, given that Ahli scored an equally controversial goal in their 2-1 first-leg win when a cross struck Mohamed Fadl's arm and rolled into the net. The tactical choices of Al-Badri, who failed in his first African test as a manager after replacing Manuel Jose in the summer of 2009, was hardly questioned amid the media hype that surrounded Lamptey. But Al-Mestekawi criticized the 50-year-old for opting to stay put on the touchline rather than putting an end to the repeated scuffles between Ahli and Esperance players. The former Jose assistant was caught wearing a sarcastic smile whenever Lamptey blew a controversial whistle or his players confronted their Esperance counterparts, whose theatrical dives at times enraged the visitors. "The coach must impose his personality on his players," Al-Mestekawi, a columnist in independent newspaper Al-Shorouk, commented. "He remained silent when all those things happened on the pitch, he should have intervened to calm his players down." Ahli filed a complaint to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) against Lamptey in more hope than expectation. Al-Badri is still having the devil's own job to win over Ahli's demanding fans, who consistently recall the glory days of Portuguese Jose, now coaching Saudi Arabia's Ittihad Jeddah. The six-time African champions still have the domestic competitions, the league and cup, to play for. But the Champions League has always been considered a priority for an Ahli side which were itching for a fourth participation in the FIFA Club World Cup.
