“I would like to thank Ahly players. I am proud of the young players who are fighting for the team on the pitch,” the 47-year-old Portuguese coach, who has been on the job for two months, said in the press conference after the game.
“I asked the players during the break to deliver better performance and we became the better side in the second half. We kept a tightened defence and also we missed several chances against the goal,” the Ahly coach explained after the draw against a 10th place Ismaily.
After last night's draw, with three matchdays on the season, Ahly remained in 3rd place with 63 points, losing more ground in their chase after Pyramids FC, who are currently in second place with 68, to finish second in the league.
“Now we are creating circumstances to make a better future for Ahly. I now know all the players and their abilities very well. I will give the club president a detailed and consequential report. We will work to amend our mistakes to become stronger in the new season,” the coach concluded.
In June, after the sudden departure of South African coach Pitso Mosimane, Soares took the charge of the Red Devils late, but he failed to impress Ahly fans after coaching 14 games.
In 11 league games under his guidance, Ahly won five, drew in another five, and lost one. The team also lost the 2020-2021 Cup championship game to archrivals Zamalek in July.
In early August, after losing hope in winning the league title this season, Ahly management decided to rest the team’s key players, leaving Soares obliged to inject new blood into the team in recent games.
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