Wael Gomaa says international break gives Al Ahly chance to reset

Wael Gomaa says the international break has come at an ideal time for Al Ahly after they returned to winning ways in the Egyptian Premier League under difficult circumstances that he believes are not widely understood.

Al Ahly beat Abu Qir Fertilizers 2-0 at Cairo International Stadium in the fifth round of the competition, recovering from a 1-1 draw with Al Mokawloon Al Arab in their previous league match.

The victory moved Al Ahly to 13 points and temporarily put them top of the table, ahead of the completion of Zamalek’s and Pyramids’ matches. Abu Qir Fertilizers remain 17th with three points.

Ahmed Sayed “Zizo” and Hussein El Shahat scored Al Ahly’s goals.

Speaking on Al Ahly’s television channel, Gomaa said: “Praise be to God, we secured an important victory against Abu Qir Fertilizers despite difficult and adverse circumstances that most people do not know about. Unfortunately, some people judge us on the basis of last season.”

He also questioned criticism of the team selection, saying: “Some people demand that certain players should be involved. But did you watch the training sessions? Did you see who was ready and who was not? Who played in the friendly matches and who did not?”

Gomaa believes the break for international football will allow the club to bring absent players back to full fitness and create greater balance within the squad.

“The international break has come at a very good time,” he said. “We will use it to prepare the players who have been absent so that everyone is ready with the same physical workload.”

He thanked Al Ahly’s supporters for their backing and said the coaching staff would use the coming period to address weaknesses and improve the team’s performances.

“I thank the Al Ahly fans for their support and for standing by us, as we have always come to expect from them,” he added. “God willing, the coaching staff will correct the mistakes in the coming period and develop the performance for the better.”

Gomaa said he had seen a better overall condition among the players than last season, while acknowledging that the team still had work to do.

“Everyone feels that the players’ situation is better than last season, and we are working to improve many of the bad things that happened last season,” he said.

He also stressed that pressure was unavoidable for anyone representing Al Ahly and called for unity around the team.

“As long as you wear the Al Ahly shirt and badge, pressure will always be present,” Gomaa said. “Anyone who cannot withstand that pressure will find it difficult at the club. We are all in the same boat, and I hope this message reaches everyone around us, or those considered to be part of us, who appear in the media as if they support us. I hope they understand that message.”

Al Ahly’s next league match is against Zamalek on 11 October in the sixth round.