Modern Sport assistant coach identifies Al Ahly weaknesses ahead of Egyptian Premier League clash

Assistant coach of Modern Sport Ayman Abdel Aziz has insisted his side will approach their upcoming Egyptian Premier League encounter against Al Ahly like any other league fixture, while revealing plans to exploit weaknesses in the defending giants’ squad.

Modern Sport are scheduled to face Al Ahly on Thursday, October 29, in the eighth round of the Egyptian Premier League, with the Cairo-based giants looking to bounce back after dropping points in their previous outing.

Speaking on the club’s official channel, Modern MTI, Abdel Aziz played down the significance of facing Al Ahly, insisting that the technical team would maintain its usual preparations for the encounter.

“The technical staff is dealing with the match in a normal way without giving it different considerations than the rest of the league matches,” he said.

“Facing Al Ahly is no different for the coaching staff than any other match the team plays in the competition,” he added.

However, Abdel Aziz revealed that his team had identified weaknesses in Al Ahly’s ranks and would study them carefully in an attempt to take advantage of them during Thursday’s encounter.

“The technical staff knows the weaknesses in Al-Ahly’s ranks, and will work on studying them and exploiting them during the next match,” he stated.

The Modern Sport coach also singled out Al Ahly midfielder Imam Ashour, describing him as the best player in Egyptian football at present, while suggesting that his tactical awareness remains an area for improvement.

Despite his praise for Ashour’s individual quality, Abdel Aziz believes the midfielder still has room to develop his understanding of the game.

He also compared Ashour and Ahmed Sayed Zizo’s current performances at Al Ahly with their displays during their time at rivals Zamalek, arguing that both players produced better technical performances before their moves to the Red Devils.

“The duo, Imam Ashour and Ahmed Sayed Zizo, presented better technical levels during their time with Zamalek Club, compared to what they are presenting with Al-Ahly Club,” he said.

Al Ahly head into the encounter under pressure to respond after being held to a 3-3 draw by Al-Qanah in the previous round, a result that left them four points behind Egyptian Premier League leaders Pyramids FC.

The Red Devils will therefore be eager to return to winning ways, but Modern Sport will hope to capitalise on their opponents’ recent struggles and secure a positive result in the eighth round.