Coach Juan Carlos Garrido (Photo: Reuters)
Ahly's Spanish coach Juan Carlos Garrido said his team deserved to win the three points up for grabs in the game against Wadi Degla on the 14th matchday of the Egyptian Premier League Saturday, while the goalless draw came thanks to the opponents' solid defence throughout the game.
The Cairo giants' five-match winning run in the league came at a halt after they failed to break down Wadi Degla in a 0-0 draw in Cairo.
The defending champions Ahly, who are chasing a ninth successive league title, are playing below-par, losing one of their four rescheduled league matches.
"Ahly were close to snatching the points of the game as we always play to win," the 45-year-old tactician Garrido told the post-game press conference.
"Degla's defence and bad luck prevented Ahly players scoring in the first half," he added.
"We knew about Degla's players performance, so we stopped their key players' efforts during the game, but we failed to make use of our scoring chances," the coach said.
"Ahly always play to win, so when we draw it's disappointing for us. I congratulate Wadi Degla for their performance throughout the game," Garrido concluded.
After Saturday's draw, Ahly lie fifth in the table with 21 points, 10 behind leaders Zamalek who have played three games more. In-form Degla, who made an impressive start to the season, lie third with 25 points from 13 matches.
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