Moroccan coach Hossam Amouta, technical director of Al-Ahly Club, delivered several messages following the 3-2 victory over Eastern Company ENPPI in a match that was part of the first week of the Egyptian Premier League season.
Al-Ahly had fallen behind by two goals before "the Red Team" turned defeat into a 3-2 victory thanks to a last-minute goal scored by substitute Mohamed Magdy "Afsha".
Amouta stated during the press conference: "We played a difficult match against Eastern Company ENPPI, especially after conceding two goals in the first half due to mistakes, but we managed to improve our performance and secure a 3-2 win at the start of our league campaign."
Amouta emphasized that all players exerted tremendous effort, noting that mistakes are inevitable. He pointed out that the substitutions made the difference today, aided by the other players who participated throughout the match. Most importantly, the team demonstrated mental strength despite conceding goals. He expressed gratitude to Al-Ahly fans for their support and encouragement.
Continuing his remarks, the coach said: "Ashraf Dari is an international player with great character and value; he will be a strong addition to our defense. Yasser Ibrahim has played strong matches with the national team. The responsibility for conceding goals does not lie solely with the defensive line; everyone shares responsibility."
He added: "Moreover, Imam Ashour is an outstanding player who suffered an injury during the World Cup and did not fully recover during the Barcelona training camp. He has only gradually begun participating over the past two days."
He continued: "The entire team needs to receive the full dose of training sessions."
The Moroccan coach noted: "Al-Ahly is a major club with a massive fan base, and everyone seeks titles. I expect the beginning to be challenging due to the large number of players who participated in the World Cup; they need sufficient rest periods."
He concluded: "I decided to utilize players in multiple positions, including Ahmed Sayed 'Zizo', who can play as a winger or in the number 8 role. Ali Mahmoud also possesses good potential and made a difference alongside Afsha; he will have a significant impact wearing the Al-Ahly jersey. El-Shenawy is one of our key players."
