Al Ahly legend Rabie Yassin has criticised the game plan of head coach Jose Riveiro, following their goalless scoreline against Inter Miami.
The Egyptian outfit dominated the first half and arguably should have been out of sight, but their lack of clinical finishing meant the encounter ended all square.
During that first-half dominance, Emam Ashour was injured and replaced by new signing Zizo, who continued to help the club create chances.
However, his substitution later in the match has led to club legend Rabie Yassin questioning the former Orlando Pirates boss’s decision to take him off.
“I was surprised by Riveiro’s decision to substitute Ahmed Zizo in the Inter Miami match,” the 105-capped Egypt international said, as per El Fagr Sport.
“The player gave a strong performance. What happened is an insult to a player of Zizo’s stature. Zizo is not a small player, and everyone was talking about the Zizo deal. On the field, the player represents a strong addition to Al Ahly.”
The 45-time league champions also brought in the services of Achraf Bencharki, but he did not feature against the Lionel Messi-led side.
This was another point of contention for the ex-defender, who insisted the Spaniard needs to take a firmer stance on underperforming players.
“The absence of Moroccan Achraf Bencharki from the match is a ‘question mark,’ as he is capable of scoring goals at any time,” he added.
“The first match had its ups and downs. We could have ended the match in the first half. Riveiro must stand firm against any player who makes a mistake.
“Al Ahly’s experienced players were able to end the match early. Al Ahly spent millions on players, and it’s only natural that Al Ahly is scary because of the presence of senior players.”
Al Ahly will turn their attention to their second group game against Palmeiras on Thursday at the MetLife Stadium, with kick-off scheduled at 16:00 GMT.
