Ahly coach Martin Lasarte (Photo: Reuters)
Ahly coach Martin Lasarte praised his players for fighting back in the Premier League to win their 41st league title with one match to spare, which was followed by a 1-0 victory over rivals Zamalek on the final day of the season on Sunday.
The Red Devils were crowned league champions last Wednesday after beating Arab Contractors 3-1 but their victory against arch-rivals Zamalek put the icing on the cake.
They ended the competition in the best possible way, having chalked up eight wins out of seven games since losing 1-0 to Pyramids in April.
"Some people think that winning a game after game like we did is something easy but it wasn't at all; they expected us to be flawless," Lasarte told the post-match news conference.
"I thank the players for their huge efforts and spirit that helped them come back from behind to win this difficult title."
After a slow start to the season, Ahly made an impressive comeback in the second half to bridge an eight-point deficit and claim the title with an eight-point lead.
Although they defeated Zamalek, Lasarte still rued his team's missed opportunities that could have put the game beyond reach.
"We missed several chances in the second half. Zamalek also created some chances but we played on the counter and were able to threaten their keeper. Unfortunately, we couldn't score any more goals," the Uruguayan tactician added.
Ahly players were guilty of squandering numerous opportunities throughout the season. The defending champions have scored 56 goals in 34 matches, boasting the league's third best attack, nine goals short of Zamalek.
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