Staff Reporter.
Al Ahly have decided to deduct the salaries of players and the coaching staff after losing the Egyptian Super Cup to Tala’a El-Gaish.
Less than one month after losing the Egyptian Premier League title to arch rivals Zamalek, Al Ahly fell once again this time in the 2019/2020 Egyptian Super Cup.
The Red Devils were competing for the trophy after winning the league and Egypt Cup and were up against cup runners-up Tala’a El-Gaish.
Despite being heavily favorites to win the encounter, Al Ahly failed to score a goal during the initial 90 minutes or in the two periods of extra time and the game was sent to penalties.
Goalkeepers Mohamed El-Shennawy and Mohamed Bassam were the main protagonists of the penalty shootouts as the the former saved two penalties and the latter three, therefore handing El Gaish their first ever tropht.
Following the game, Al Ahly released a statement in which they announced that they will be deducting EGP 300k from the players, football director and the entirety of the coaching staff. Additionally, the medical and administrative staffs will also see a deduction in their salaries.
The decision came due to the team’s poor performance despite having all the necessary resources to win the encounter.
Meanwhile Al Ahly head coach Pitso Mosimane made sure to congratulate Tala’a El-Gaish after beating them in the Egyptian Super Cup.
“This would mean subbing off Afsha. We won all the championships with Afsha. I can’t play with attackers at the expense of the playmaker,” he said in the post match press conference.
“I would like to congratulate Tala’a El-Gaish,” he concluded.
The Red Devils have also provided a major update on marquee off-season signing Percy Tau ahead of the start of their 2021/22 campaign.
Tau, 27, joined the record 10-time African Champions League winners last month in a deal worth a reported R30-million from Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion amid major fanfare.
But upon his return to Cairo after the recent FIFA international break where he featured in the Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifiers against Zimbabwe and Ghana – he reported back with an injury that ruled him out of the Egypt Super Cup.
The club’s head of medical staff Ahmed Abo-Ablaa has confirmed that the Bafana Bafana star should be ready to return to full training next week and quashed concerns of any long-term issues over his fitness.
“Tau doesn’t have any chronic injuries, he suffered this injury during his stay in his national team’s camp,” Abo-Ablaa said in a segment on Al Ahly TV this week.
“When Percy returned to Egypt, we checked his current state, he’s suffering a partial hamstring tear, it’s nothing serious.”
“The player started his solo training alongside his physical therapy. He’s recovering day after day and will be joining the team’s training in a week or so.”
Tau will be likely to miss their Egypt Cup clash against ENPPI on Saturday before the next international break where Bafana Bafana are set to face Ethiopia home and away.