Experienced Dutch manager, Martin Jol has guided Al Ahly SC to reclaim the Egyptian Premier League title in his first season in charge of the Red Devils.
Ahly reclaimed the title from their bitter Cairo rivals Zamalek SC, with two matches to spare after brushing aside Ismaily with a 2-1 victory on Friday. The Red Devils, Egypt and Africa’s most successful side claimed their ninth title in 10 seasons and 38th overall after Zamalek had briefly ended their eight-season hegemony with a rare triumph last year.
Former Ajax, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur manager, Jol joined the Egyptian giants early this year, with a promise to deliver the Egyptian title back to the Red Devils. He fulfilled his promise with two games to spare in the season; hoping that other honours would follow at the end of the season.
Although Ahly seemed to have the coveted league title in the bag earlier in the season, alarm bells rang after their 11-point lead over Zamalek was trimmed to five following surprise defeats by Wadi Degla and Masry at a time when their foes embarked on an eight-match winning run. Zamalek hoped to win two games and awaited a gift from either Ismaily or Ittihad, Ahly’s opponents, before meeting the leaders in what could have been a crucial Cairo derby on the final day of the season.
But two early goals from in-form teenager Ramadan Sobhi and Walid Soliman set Ahly on their way to a 2-1 victory over Ismaily, who scored a consolation through Ghanaian striker Emmanuel Banahene, while Zamalek came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw with Masry. Al Ahly last won the Egyptian league in the 2013-14 season, before Zamalek took it away from them in the 2014-15 season.
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