Moroccan Hossam Amouta, head coach of Al-Ahly's first football team Al-Ahly, commented on the 1-0 victory over Smouha in the Egyptian Premier League.
Amouta said during the press conference: "It was a difficult match, the goal came late, but the performance throughout the game was good, and I believe we dominated possession significantly."
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He added: "We created many chances during the match, while on the other hand, not a single attack reached Mostafa Shobeir. The only issue was the delay in scoring, but as a collective performance, we were good."
He continued: "We need a strong defensive performance, and we must capitalize better on our available opportunities. We require players to be ready from the start, and any player could participate."
Amouta further stated: "Today, whoever was fit played; that's why Zizo participated. On the other hand, Afsha recently returned from injury and had an adductor muscle problem."
He elaborated: "The fans were on edge, as was everyone else due to the delayed goal, and we must work on improving our attacking efficiency."
He added: "We had complete control of the match after the first half-hour and created numerous chances. Mentally, we were slow to get into the game, and we could have scored one or two goals by halftime."
Regarding Imam Ashour's return date, he noted: "Players' readiness varies from one to another. Today, we saw Yasser Ibrahim play for the first time. As for Imam Ashour, unfortunately, he missed training due to abdominal pain. He needs to participate in more friendly matches, around 3 to 4 friendlies, to regain his physical rhythm before competing again. We might see Imam Ashour before the international break."
He concluded: "After every official match, we try to arrange a friendly game to prepare the players—not just Imam, but also Ashraf Dari and Reda Slim."
