Ahly's new coach Hossam El-Badry (Photo: Ahram)
Ahly coach Hossam El-Badry has hit back at criticisms that he is keeping his new signings on the bench over the past four games.
"Some people ask about the newly signed players. They say I should give them some time at the end of the games, but we are not in a theatre to give them some showtime at the end," El-Badry told a television programme after the team's 1-0 win over Wadi Degla in the Egyptian Premier League on Thursday.
The Cairo giants signed in January attacking midfielder Ahmed Hamoudy, midfielder Amr Barakat and Ivorian striker Souleymane Coulibaly to boost their struggling frontline.
"The newly signed players will join the squad at the right time to perform well as we expect from them," he added.
The three players haven't featured in any games with the defending champions so far and have mostly been dropped from the games squads. Only Barakat has been an unused substitute over the past two games.
"Amr Barakat joined the squad for Wadi Degla and he was close to playing in case we needed him," El-Badry said.
"Hamoudy needs time to be ready for playing as he was away from trainings for a month before joining Ahly,"
"While Coulibaly is training well with the team and he will join the squad soon," he concluded.
Ahly are in the driving seat of the Egyptian league table with 52 points, 11 ahead of second-placed Maqassa who have two games in hand.
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