coach Rene Weiler denied that his team will play a friendly in South Africa ahead of the Mamelodi Sundowns game, revealing that rotating the squad made a positive impact on the team in the recent matches. "There are no friendly games in South Africa. We didn t even think about it," the Swiss coach said in the press conference after the Talae El-Gaish match. Ahly, who defeated Talae El-Gaish 3-0 in the 17th round of the Egyptian Premier League on Monday, will travel to South Africa to face Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg quarter final game of the African Champions League scheduled for 6 March. Rotating the squad is one of the most notable characteristics of Weiler s successful strategy, which helped him to maintain a winning streak that reached 14 consecutive games. "I don t have starting or substitute players. The most important is when I rotate the squad, whoever plays, performs well, that s why we work with all the players in the same way," the 46-year-old coach revealed. With Monday s victory, Ahly reached 42 points on the table to increase the gap between the second placed Arab Contractors to 10 points. "The 10-point difference with Arab Contractors doesn t concern me, we play each game with full power and with the best formation to achieve victories only," the former Anderlecht coach said.

Ahly defeated Talae El-Gaish 3-0 on Monday to extend their winning-streak to 14 games since the start of the season, three wins short of their own record in 2004/2005. Nigerian striker Junior Ajayi, 33, put Ahly in the lead at the interval, while midfielders Amr El-Sulaya and Mohamed "Afsha" Magdi scored the second-half goals to open a 10-point gap at the top. Coach Rene Weiler kept on rotating his squad, making four changes to his previous line-up including Angolan winger Gerlado and Ahmed El-Sheikh to rest Hussein El-Shahat and striker Marwan Mohsen. From the early moments of the game, Ahly dominated the pitch, forcing Talae El-Gaish to sit back on defence. The Reds created constant threat through their left flank where Tunisia s Ali Maloul and Geraldo made darting runs, breaking through their opponents defence. In the 33rd minute, Maaloul set up Ajayi to score with an easy finish from inside the box. Ahly could have doubled their lead just before the break when Afsha s close range shot was brilliantly denied by international keeper Mohamed Bassam. At the other end, Mohamed El-Shennawi was not tested throughout the first half. After the interval, the hosts maintained their pressure until El-Sulaya got them what they wanted from a long range screamer in the 69th minute. After squandering several easy chances, playmaker Afsha completed the rout after being set up by Mahmoud Abdel-Moneim "Kaharaba" on the edge of the area to send a low shot at the bottom of the net.

Zamalek scored twice in seven second-half minutes to come from behind and earn a 2-1 win at Ismaily in the Egyptian Premier League on Sunday, boosting their morale ahead of an anticipated African Super Cup clash on Friday. Ismaily went to the locker room 1-0 up, thanks to a penalty from Egyptian international defender Baher El-Mohammadi, but a header from forward Youssef Ibrahim and a spot-kick from Mahmoud Alaa in quick succession after the break turned the match on its head. Matters went from bad to worse for Ismaily when substitute Mohamed Bayoumi was sent off for a second bookable offence 12 minutes from time, although they still spurned two clear-cut chances in the dying stages. Zamalek are third in the table with 31 points, just one behind Arab Contractors, who played a game more, and eight adrift of leaders Ahly, who have two matches in hand. The White Knights second straight league win came in a timely manner as they face some crunch games this month, including Friday s African Super Cup clash against Tunisia s Esperance in Doha. They also meet arch-rivals Ahly in the Egyptian Super Cup on 20 February and in the Egyptian league four days later. Stuttering Ismaily dropped to ninth in the table with 21 points. End-to-end half In an end-to-end first half, Ismaily had the lion s share of chances as they proved dangerous on the break. Zamalek had the first chance when Youssef Ibrahim s low shot from a pull-back was finger-tipped by the keeper but Ismaily quickly took control. They were unlucky not to go ahead on two occasions, including a sliding effort from ex-Zamalek winger Mohamed El-Shami which went just wide after he broke clear following a superb threaded pass from Ahmed Madbouli. Madbouli won a penalty in the 33rd minute when he was held back by Zamalek youngster Ahmed Eid, with El-Mohammadi s effort nestling into the bottom corner even though keeper Mohamed Abou-Gabal dived the right way. Zamalek improved after the break, with some darting runs behind Ismaily s backline causing menace to the hosts. They equalised on 61 minutes when Tunisian midfielder Ferjani Sassi, who was an otherwise peripheral figure, released Mohamed Ounajem with a fine lofted pass down the right as the Moroccan whipped in an inviting cross for Ibrahim to head home from close range. Zamalek went ahead six minutes later as Alaa sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot after lone striker Mostafa Mohamed was brought down by the shot-stopper. Ismaily were hardly affected by the dismissal of Bayoumi though and they were guilty of missing two easy chances through Tunisian forward Fakhereedine Ben Youssef and Namibian striker Benson Shilongo.

Zamalek have a busy schedule this month. The team will face Ismaily on the 17th matchday of the Egyptian Premier League on Sunday, five days before battling it out with Esperance of Tunisia in the African Super Cup. The Whites will also face arch-rivals Ahly in the Egypt Super Cup in the UAE on 20 February, then the two sides will meet again in the Egyptian Premier League on 24 February before finishing the month playing against Esperance of Tunisia on 29 February. "February is a very important month to us, with two games and potentially two trophies," Zamalek s football director Amir Mansour told the club s official website. "The game against Ismaily will be a good warm-up for the Super Cups." Egyptian international striker Mostafa Mohamed will boost Zamalek s squad ahead of ismaily clash after serving his one match ban. Tunisian midfielder Ferjani Sassi will also boost the Whites after missing the 2-0 win over minor side Haras El-Hodoud in the Egyptian Premier League last week. In-form winger Mahmoud Shikabala will remain out of the pitch after he had been sidelined during the goalless draw with Angola s Primeiro de Agosto and Haras El-Hodoud. Zamalek are third in the league table with 28 points. They have been inconsistent in their domestic campaign, falling a staggering 11 points behind defending champions Ahly, who also have a game in hand. Zamalek s only hope is in finishing second in the league table to earn an African Champions League spot next season. Ismaily are eager to return to winning ways after losing their last game against Aswan 2-1 in the league then improving their position on the teams table. The Dervishes squad will be boosted by the return of striker Mohamed El-Shami after finishing his rehab programme alongside Tunisian striker Fakhreddine Ben Youssef and in-form playmaker Ayman Magdi. Ismaily are in the ninth place in the league table with 21 points, seven points behind opponents Zamalek.

Egypt s Ahly will have a chance to avenge their humiliating defeat by South Africa s Mamelodi Sundowns last season as both sides were paired in the African Champions League quarterfinals after the draw was made on Wednesday. Five-time winners Zamalek, Ahly s perennial Cairo rivals, will meet defending champions Esperance of Tunisia in another mouthwatering two-legged clash in the last eight. Ahly and Sundowns met in the same stage last season, with the South Africans claiming a stunning 5-0 home victory in the first leg, handing the record eight-time champions their worst ever defeat in an African competition. The Red Devils won the second leg 1-0 but it was a mere consolation, with another failure in Africa s blue-riband club competition prompting much-soul searching as to why the team are struggling to recapture their glory days. Ahly, who won their last Champions League title in 2013, appear formidable on the domestic front as they won their first 12 matches with a swagger. However, they have not been as impressive in the group stage of the Champions League, failing to win any of their away matches. They still managed to finish second behind Tunisia s Etoile Sahel after a 1-1 draw away to Sudan s Al-Hilal in a tense match in the final round. Zamalek, who last won the competition in 2002, will face Esperance three times in around three weeks as both sides clash in the African Super Cup on 14 February. In the other quarter-final games, Morocco s Raja take on TP Mazembe of the DR Congo and Wydad Casablanca meet Etoile. The winners of the Zamalek-Esperance game will meet either Raja or Mazembe while the winners of the Ahly-Sundowns match will face either Wydad or Etoile in the semifinals.

Aware that their hopes of challenging Ahly for the Egyptian league title this season are very slim, Zamalek have shifted their attention towards two key Super Cup clashes this month. Zamalek s French coach Patrice Carteron is likely to field a weakened side against Haras El-Hodoud in Wednesday s league match, less than 10 days before the team meet Tunisia s Esperance in the African Super Cup in Qatari capital Doha. They also face Cairo rivals Ahly in the domestic Super Cup in the United Arab Emirates on 20 February. "February is a very important month for us, with two games equalling two trophies," Zamalek s football director Amir Mansour said on the club s official website. "Our next two games against El-Hodoud and Ismaily will represent good preparations for the Super Cups. "We are not underestimating the league competition but Carteron intends to rotate his squad to prepare the team [for the Super Cup games]." Zamalek have been inconsistent in their domestic league campaign, falling a staggering 11 points behind defending champions Ahly, who also have a game in hand. Their only realistic hope lies in finishing second to earn an African Champions League spot next season. El-Hodoud will be seeking to end a three-match winless run in the league. They lie 10th in the table with 18 points. Carteron left main striker Mostafa Mohamed out of Zamalek s squad for the game. Influential central midfielder Ferjani Sassi is also rested but the team welcome back Moroccan playmaker Achraf Bencharki after he recovered from injury.

A South Korean court ordered a local promoter Tuesday to compensate fans for Cristiano Ronaldo s no-show at a friendly match in Seoul last year. The Juventus star stayed on the bench throughout a 3-3 draw with a K-League all-stars team at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in July, despite rounds of appeals from a sell-out crowd of 65,000. Match promoter The Festa had run adverts heavily featuring the Portuguese striker. Tickets -- priced from 30,000 won ($25) to 400,000 won -- sold out in less than three minutes, with many eager to see the 34-year-old superstar in action. Two fans sued The Festa, accusing it of false advertising, and the Incheon District Court ruled the promoter should pay them 371,000 won each, the South s Yonhap news agency reported. No order was made against Ronaldo or his club. South Korean fans frustration has led to the coining of an online phrase, "acting like Ronaldo", to criticise someone who only seeks benefits without fulfilling promised action. "If he had played just for 10 minutes, everyone would have walked home happy," one poster wrote on the country s largest portal site Naver.

Crisis-hit Masry, who had already qualified for the quarter-finals, held Nigeria s Enugu Rangers to a 1-1 away draw in their last group-stage game of the African Confederation Cup on Sunday. Palestinian striker Mahmoud Wadi needed six minutes to give Masry the lead with a simple finish after running onto a threaded pass behind the defence. However, Ifeanyi George brought Rangers level in the 20th minute, sneaking behind the defence to volley home a floated free kick. Both sides had chances to win in an end-to-end second half but were guilty of squandering some easy opportunities. Masry finished second in Group A with 10 points, five behind leaders and compatriots Pyramids FC as both sides went through. Rangers are third on six points, with Mauritania s Nouadhibou lying at the bottom with two points. Masry lifted some of the gloom surrounding the club after their patchy domestic form saw them slip to 11th in the Egyptian Premier League table. Coach Ihab Galal submitted his resignation following a poor domestic run last week but Masry s board convinced him to stay put. Matters went from bad to worse when they were also banned by world governing body FIFA from the next three transfer windows after they were found guilty of violating transfer rules regarding the signing of Ivorian winger Cheick Moukoro.

Egypt s Ahly survived a late scare in Sudan s Omdurman to book their place in the African Champions League quarters following a tense 1-1 draw with Al-Hilal on Saturday. Needing only a draw to advance, the game looked dead and buried when Magdi Afsha fired Ahly in front three minutes into the second half, silencing a passionate crowd. Tensions boiled over with 15 minutes remaining as Al-Hilal players harangued the referee more than once. Two fans invaded the pitch and a barrage of projectiles were thrown onto the field, forcing a seven-minute stoppage as security forces formed a cordon around the officials and both teams. When the game resumed, substitute Mahmoud Kahraba, who joined Ahly in January, could not find an open net after rounding the keeper and the glaring miss could have proved costly. Deep in stoppage time, a rare defensive lapse allowed Al-Hilal to equalise, substitute Abdelrazig Omer stabbing home from close range after Abou Aagla lofted the ball over a static center back. Al-Hilal had a goal correctly ruled out for offside at the death in a frenetic finale as Ahly breathed a sigh of relief after the final whistle, despite missing the chance to secure passage to the last eight as the group winners. They instead finished second in their group with 11 points, one behind leaders Etoile Sahel who beat bottom side Platinum of Zimbabwe 2-0 in the other group match. Al-Hilal are third on 10 points, narrowly missing out on a quarter-final berth. Balanced strategy Ahly s balanced strategy worked well in the first half, forcing Al-Hilal to launch some innocuous long balls which were no trouble to a composed defence. Al-Hilal forwards could not also break the offside trap on several occasions while the only half-chance in the first period fell to the visitors. In the 13th minute, lone striker Marwan Mohsen ran onto a threaded pass but fired high over from a tight angle. Ahly remained in control in the aqsecond half and apart from a wayward shot from Al-Hilal s Mohamed Mokhtar in the 47th minute, they were comfortable at the back. They silenced the home crowd just one minute later following a neatly-worked move. Central midfielder Amr El-Sulaya sent a perfectly-weighted pass to Hussein El-Shahat to beat the offside trap at the far post, with the winger crossing low for Afsha to side-foot home. A lengthy stoppage dampened Al-Hilal s spirit, with Kahraba missing a sitter on 88 minutes when he broke clear and skipped past the keeper, only to needlessly dither on the ball and fire into the side netting. Omer gave Al-Hilal a lifeline five minutes into the additional time but another vital goal did not materialize as record eight-time winners Ahly continued their bid towards their first Champions League crown since 2013.

Pyramids came from behind to beat bottom side FC Masr 2-1 in the Egyptian Premier League on Wednesday, with their opponents having three players sent off. Mostafa Sultan fired FC Masr in front in the 33rd minute when he flicked a cross past his challenger and drilled home. However, Egyptian international midfielder Nabil Emad brought Pyramids level on the stroke of halftime before FC Masr had Ahmed Youssef sent off after receiving a second booking in the 66th minute. Pyramids made their numerical advantage count as Islam Eissa netted the decisive winner in the 74th minute, cutting ahead of a defender to control a long ball in the area and volley home. Matters went from bad to worse for FC Masr in the final five minutes when Ahmed Ouka and Islam Salah received their marching orders for remonstrating with the referee. Pyramids, who secured a second straight win, moved up to third in the table with 26 points, six behind second-placed Arab Contractors. FC Masr, who are making their maiden appearance in the top flight, lie at the bottom on 11 points.

A gutsy Wadi Degla side snapped Zamalek s three-match winning run after holding their illustrious opponents to a 1-1 draw in the Egyptian Premier League on Tuesday. Degla fell behind to a powerful strike from Zamalek striker Mostafa Mohamed on the quarter-hour mark but still produced a brilliant display that belies their 12th-place rank in the table. They leveled the score three minutes before halftime, thanks to a volley from Ahmed Said, and were unlucky not to snatch a win in a second half they almost completely dominated. The possession-based football orchestrated by Degla s Greek coach Takis Gonias looks to be finally working after a poor start to the season. Zamalek s mini-revival came to an end as they lie third in the table with 25 points, a massive 11 behind leaders and arch rivals Ahly, who still have a game in hand. Given the big gap, Zamalek s realistic hope lies in finishing second and earning an African Champions League spot. They are seven points behind surprise package and second-placed Arab Contractors, who played two matches more. Mostafa Mohamed opened the scoring after 15 minutes in style, his right-foot piledriver nestling into the top corner of the net after Degla were robbed in midfield. Zamalek needlessly eased off after taking an early lead, allowing a typical adventurous Degla side to pour forward en masse. Degla had a valid penalty claim waved away by the referee when Zamalek defender Mahmoud Hamdi appeared to block a cross with a flailing arm. But they got the equaliser they deserved in the 42nd minute when Said popped up unmarked at the far post to volley home a lofted pass. Degla laid siege to Zamalek s area for most of the second half, with Tunisian forward Rafik Kabou guilty of wasting two easy chances. He broke clear on 49 minutes following a defence-splitting pass from his mis-hit effort was thwarted by keeper Mohamed Abou-Gabal and then failed to connect with a low cross with the goal at his mercy shortly after. Zamalek s only chance fell to out-of-sorts winger Mohamed Ounajem, the Moroccan blasting high over from a rebound.

Zamalek will be aiming for their fourth straight league victory to maintain their title when they take on Wadi Degla on Tuesday at Cairo Stadium in the 15th round of the Egyptian Premier League. The Whites, who have just secured a berth in the African Champions League quarterfinals last weekend following a scoreless draw against TP Mazembe of DR Congo, are fourth of the Egyptian League table with 24 points, 12 adrift of leaders Ahly after just 12 games. Zamalek s French coach Patrice Carteron decided to include returning Congolese striker Kabongo Kasongo in his squad to boost his front line alongside in-form markman Mostafa Mohamed, especially that Omar El-Said is serving a one-match automatic ban. Kasongo joined Zamalek in 2017 but was loaned out to Saudi s Al-Wehda then Morocco s Wydad Casablanca in 2019 before returning to the Whites in the current transfer market. Meanwhile, midfield linchpin Tarek Hamed was also ruled out due to suspension. Carteron will also have to do without injured duo left-back Abdallah Gomaa and Moroccan forward Achraf Bencharki Wadi Degla bounced back to winning ways after a catastrophic start of the season that saw them drop in the danger zone. Takis Gonias men claimed seven points from their previous three games beating Smouha 3-2 and Aswan 3-1 and conceding a 1-1 draw against El-Entag El-Harby. They are 12th with 13 points after 14 games and hope to maintain their fine run on Tuesday.

A first-half goal from Junior Ajayi gave Ahly a vital 1-0 home win over Tunisia s Etoile Sahel that lifted them to the summit of their African Champions League group and boosted their hopes to reach the last eight on Sunday. The Nigerian fired home on the rebound after a defender had cleared a goal-bound shot just past the half-hour mark, giving Ahly a much needed victory in a cagey encounter in Cairo. Ahly are on top of Group B with 10 points, one ahead of Etoile and Sudanese giants Al-Hilal with one match remaining in the group phase. The Red Devils only need to draw at Al-Hilal s Omdurman fortress in their final match next week to qualify for the quarter-finals. A win will see them advance as the group leaders regardless of the outcome of the other match between Etoile and Zimbabwe s Platinum. Ahly looked disjointed in the opening half-hour, with a physical Etoile side giving them little space to operate and trying to hit them on the counter. Striker Karim Aribi wasted two chances to give Etoile a surprise lead early one, forcing a fine one-handed save from Mohamed El-Shennawi with a shot from the edge of the area before having another effort thwarted by the keeper after racing past his challenger in the area. It was not until the 30th minute that Ahly threatened the visitors, with keeper Achraf Krir keeping out an angled shot from Hussein El-Shahat with his finger tips. The breakthrough came two minutes later when a low cross from Tunisian left-back Ali Maaloul found El-Shahat at the far post. The winger s shot was cleared off the line by Zied Boughattas and Ajayi made no mistake with a bouncing shot. The second half was a bore affair, with both sides unable to muster any meaningful opportunities. The only half-chance fell to Ahly striker Marwan Mohsen, who cut inside and missed the target with a left-foot shot. Mohsen, who was an otherwise peripheral figure, was replaced in stoppage time, making way for Senegalese striker Aliou Badji, who made his debut.

Ahly host Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel in the fifth round of Group B games of the African Champions League on Sunday at El-Salam Stadium. The Cairo giants, who are bidding to qualify for the quarterfinals of the CAF Champions League, are expected to face a tough test against Etoile du Sahel after losing the away game to the Tunisian side 1-0 at Stade Olympique de Radès last November. Group B of the Champions League are tight as Etoile du Sahel are in the driving seat with nine points, sharing the same number of points with Sudanese Al-Hilal and two points over Ahly who are in third place. Sudanese Al-Hilal defeated FC Platinum of Zimbabwe 1-0 early on Saturday to raise pressure on Ahly ahead of Etoile du Sahel clash. "We have no choice but to win over Etoile du Sahel," Ahly football director Sayed Abdel-Hafiz told reporters on Saturday. "The games against the North African teams are always difficult so we have to give it our all against Etoile du Sahel," he added. "We are familiar with Tunisian football, and we know well the Etoile du Sahel team." Ahly will continue losing the services of efficient winger Ramadan Sobhi and defender Saad Samir due to injuries. Attacking midfielder Hussein El-Shahat and winger Mahmoud Kahraba will boost the Reds squad after their valuable participation in the 5-0 win over Tanta and the 2-0 win over the Arab Contractors in the Egyptian Premier League last week. Ahly have included newly signed Senegalese striker Aliou Badji for the game against Etoile du Sahel. Despite their current poor performance in the Tunisian League, Etoile du Sahel will fight against Ahly to secure a place in the quarterfinals. Etoile du Sahel achieved three victories in the Champions League group stage after playing four games.

Egyptian club Maqassa announced Wednesday that they parted ways with head coach Ahmed Mido Hossam after Tuesday s 3-1 league loss to rivals Pyramids FC. "The board decided to thank coach Mido for his stint with the team, wishing him best of luck in his next steps as he is considered one of the promising coaches," read a short statement on Maqassa s official Twitter account. Coach Gamal Omar will be in charge of the team in the coming period, according to club management. The 37-year-old former Egypt attacker Mido took the charge of the Fayoum-based club last June, succeeding former coach Talaat Youssef. With Mido at the helm, Maqassa secured just two wins and suffered seven defeats in 14 domestic league matches since the season start. The team currently lie in 15th place of the league table. The former Zamalek, Ismaily and Wadi Degla coach Mido hung up his boots in June 2013 after serving a host of European clubs, including Ajax, Celta Vigo, Marseille, Roma, Tottenham, Wigan and West Ham. Mido took charge of Zamalek twice, leading the club to the Egypt Cup title in his first stint in 2014. His second spell in 2016 was less successful and he was sacked following a poor run of results. Mido also had stints with Ismaily in 2015 and Wadi Degla in 2017. He was named as coach of Saudi side Al-Wehda in 2019, but was sacked after only two months.

Ahly s Moroccan striker Walid Azaro has joined Saudi side Ettifaq on loan for six months starting this month, the gulf club announced Wednesday. "Azaro joined the club from Ahly on loan until the end of the current season," reads a short statement by Ettifaq via their Twitter account. The future of the 24-year old Azaro with Ahly was recently unclear as several reports suggested that the club wanted to release him, especially after the arrival of Senegalese striker Aliou Badji. With five foreign players already on their squad, Ahly had to offload one to make room for the Senegalese hitman. Despite impressing in the first two seasons after joining the Reds in 2017 from Morocco s Difaa El-Jadida, the league s top scorer of the 2017/2018 season recently came under fire by Ahly fans after failing to prove his worth since the season start. Ahly finally decided to offload Azaro amid reports that the decision came after he failed to convince coach Rene Weiler; scoring just four goals in 11 appearances this season. Azaro scored 41 goals in 89 games in all competitions with Ahly. Ettifaq currently lie in 10th place of the Saudi domestic league table with 17 points from 14 matches.

Aston Villa eased its striker crisis by signing Tanzania international Mbwana Samatta from Belgian champion Genk on Monday. Villa has played its last three matches without a recognized striker after Brazil international Wesley was ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. The Premier League club sold the other striker in its squad, Jonathan Kodjia, to Qatari side Al-Gharafa earlier Monday. Samatta has scored 10 goals for Gent in all competitions this season, including one at Anfield against Liverpool in the Champions League. Samatta is the first player from Tanzania to play in the Premier League. He did not sign in time to be available for Villa s league match at home to Watford on Tuesday. Villa is in the relegation zone after 23 of 38 games in its first season back in the top division.

Ahly coach Rene Weiler has announced that the team s playmaker Saleh Gomaa will not have a place in the current squad, hoping the latter will have regular play with another team. Last week, Gomaa announced that he was suffering under Ahly s new coach Weiler, who always omits the playmaker from the team s squad despite his performance during trainings. "Each player has two sides, technical and mental. While Saleh Gomaa has the technical part, he lacks the mental one, which is related to concentration, as he was repeatedly fined by the team s management," Weiler told a press conference after the 2-0 win over Arab contractors on Sunday. "Saleh Gomaa won t have a role with us. I wish him good luck with another team," the Ahly coach said. Ahly fined the 26-year-old attacking midfielder repeatedly this season due to his absence from the team s trainings. Moreover, he did not make any appearance with team during the ongoing season. Since his arrival to Ahly in the 2015 season from Egyptian Premier league side Enppi, Gomaa made 69 appearances with the Reds, scoring 12 goals and making 13 assists. Ahly are in the driver s seat of the Egyptian Premier league, with a full mark of 36 points after playing 12 games so far this season.

Irrepressible Ahly will be looking to edge closer to a club record when they face nearest challengers Arab Contractors in a top-of-the-table clash in the Egyptian Premier League on Sunday. The Red Devils, who are firm favourites to win a fifth straight league title, made one of their best starts ever to a season, winning their first 11 games with a swagger. The netted a staggering 33 goals in the process, conceding just twice. Ahly are the team to beat and should they overcome Contractors, they will be just five wins short of the record they set in the 2004/2005 season when they won their opening 17 matches under iconic Portuguese coach Manuel Jose. But they are likely to face their toughest test yet this term against an in-form Contractors side that are managed by former Ahly defender Emad El-Nahhas. Contractors made an impressive start, collecting 29 points from their opening 13 matches to sit four points behind Ahly, although the latter still have two matches in hand. Ahly s firepower upfront was further boosted by the arrival of Egypt winger Mahmoud Kahraba, who opened his account with a late double salvo in the team s 5-0 drubbing of Tanta in their previous match. The Cairo giants also welcome back key attacking midfielder Walid Soliman after he recovered from injury. Out-of-favour Moroccan striker Walid Azaro, who is likely to be offloaded in January, was left out of Ahly s squad. Senegalese frontman Aliou Badji, who joined from Rapid Vienna last week, has not been registered yet in Ahly s squad.

Xavi said it was "too early" for him to coach Barcelona as he confirmed on Thursday that he had received an offer from his former club but would remain at Qatari side Al-Sadd. World Cup winner Xavi, 39, said Barcelona s director of football Eric Abidal made him the offer, before settling on Quique Setien to replace Ernesto Valverde as coach. "I received an offer from Barcelona in the presence of Eric Abidal... but I did not agree to this offer, especially as it is too early for me to coach Barcelona," he said in a statement issued by Al-Sadd. "But it will still be my dream to coach the team in the future. "I love the new Barcelona coach, I love the way he works, and I expect him to succeed with the team." Valverde left Barcelona after his sacking on Monday, closing the page on a brutal few days. Barcelona confirmed Setien s appointment following a board meeting that lasted more than four hours on Monday. His contract runs until 2022 although there is a break clause in 2021, to allow for change after the club s presidential elections. Valverde is the first coach to be sacked by Barca mid-season since Louis van Gaal in 2003. Barcelona sit top of La Liga, albeit level on points with Real Madrid, and face Napoli next month in the last 16 of the Champions League. Xavi came through the Barcelona academy before breaking the record for most appearances for the senior side, winning four Champions League trophies and eight La Liga titles. He joined Al-Sadd as a player in 2015 before being appointed coach last July.

Zamalek continued their recent fine run with a 2-0 victory at Gouna on Wednesday -- their third straight win in the Egyptian Premier League -- to avenge a bitter draw last season which virtually ended their title hopes. Veteran winger Mahmoud Shikabala netted his first league goal in over two years on only his third appearance this season to give Zamalek the lead on the quarter-hour mark. Moroccan winger Mohamed Ounajem ensured the win ten minutes after the break, notching his second goal since joining the team last summer after he also found the net in an exciting 3-2 win over Tanta in their previous match. Zamalek were held to a 2-2 draw on the same venue in the Egyptian Red Sea resort last season with two matches remaining in the league, which was crucial in handing the title to perennial Cairo rivals Ahly. The White Knights are third in the table with 24 points, five behind second-placed Arab Contractors, who played a game more, and six adrift of leaders Ahly, who have two games in hand. Shikabala opener Zamalek s early pressure resulted in a 15th-minute opener when Shikabala cut inside from the right and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner, leaving the keeper with no chance. The visitors looked lively but Gouna still posed threats on breakaways, going close on 18 minutes when right-back Bassem Ali cut inside central defender Mahmoud Alaa before firing a shot that forced a fine one-handed save from keeper Mohamed Abou-Gabal. Abou-Gabal was called into action again on the stroke of halftime, thwarting a bicycle effort from Khaled Sobhi following a diagonal left-wing cross. But Zamalek still managed to increase their advantage in the 55th minute when attacking midfielder Youssef Ibrahim fed Ounajem on the edge of the area, with the Moroccan finding the bottom corner with precise low shot. Gouna poured forward en masse and were unlucky not to narrow the gap when a glancing header from substitute Eslam Mohareb came off the bar. Zamalek survived a late onslaught and an injury to left-back Abdallah Gomaa, when they had already made their three substitutions, to maintain their recent mini-revival.