Ismaily coach Ashraf Khoder resigns after defeat by WE

Ashraf Khoder has resigned as Ismaily coach following his side’s 2-1 defeat by WE in the second round of the Professional League.

Khoder confirmed his decision after becoming involved in confrontations with Ismaily supporters at the end of the match. He told FilGoal.com that he had formally submitted his resignation and criticised some of those who attended the game.

“I have already submitted my resignation. There are some people who come to matches to insult me, even though I have never caused a problem with anyone throughout my life,” Khoder said.

The coach claimed that some of the people present had been encouraged to attend by social media pages associated with the club, and said he did not recognise some of them as regular Ismaily supporters.

“The people who were at today’s match against WE were mobilised by well-known pages, and there were some whom I saw for the first time. They are not the club’s supporters,” he added.

“These pages were the reason the club were relegated, and more than one page played a part in that.”

Khoder acknowledged that he had reacted angrily during the incident and accepted that his conduct did not meet the standards expected of a professional coach.

“That is what made me lose my temper. Certainly, as a professional, that should not have happened, especially because I became angry during the incident,” he said.

“The real Ismaily supporters are above my head. I have never had a problem with them before, and they know that.”

WE secured victory with goals from Hossam Ahmed and Yasser Zahlaq, while Anwar Saqr scored Ismaily’s goal from the penalty spot.

The result means Ismaily have lost both of their opening matches in the Professional League. They began the campaign with a 3-1 defeat by Masar before suffering another one-goal loss against WE.

Khoder’s resignation follows a difficult start for Ismaily, with the coach’s departure announced immediately after the latest defeat and the dispute involving supporters. His comments focused on what he described as a distinction between the individuals involved in the confrontation and the club’s “real” fan base.

The former Ismaily coach also said he had not caused trouble with anyone during his life and maintained that he had never previously had a confrontation with the club’s genuine supporters. His resignation came after a match in which Ismaily scored first through Saqr’s penalty but were ultimately beaten by WE’s goals from Ahmed and Zahlaq.