Former Al-Ahly midfielder Magdi Abdelghani has strongly criticised coach Hussein Ammouta over his confrontation with young player Ali Mahmoud during Al-Ahly’s 1-1 draw with Al-Mokawloon Al-Arab.
Al-Ahly’s perfect start to the Egyptian League season came to an end on Wednesday evening as they were held to a draw in the fourth round.
The result followed three successive victories for the Egyptian champions, who had collected maximum points from their opening matches before being denied another win.
However, it was an incident involving Ammouta and Mahmoud during the game that attracted significant attention.
The disagreement occurred when Mahmoud was being substituted. What began as a verbal exchange between the coach and player escalated when Ammouta pushed the youngster, prompting criticism from supporters and observers.
Abdelghani has now questioned Ammouta’s conduct and said he could not understand the reaction towards the player.
Speaking to MBC Masr 2, the former Al-Ahly star said: “If I were in Ali Mahmoud’s position, I would have reacted very differently.”
He then recalled an incident from his own playing career in which he had a confrontation with a coach after being substituted.
Abdelghani said: “A former coach did something similar to me and tried to calm me down after I was substituted and hit me, but my reaction was shocking to him as I hit him back.”
His comments highlighted his belief that coaches must control their emotions despite the pressure that comes with managing a team.
Ammouta urged to manage pressure
Abdelghani acknowledged that coaching is a demanding profession and that managers are regularly exposed to intense pressure, particularly when results and performances do not meet expectations.
However, he argued that those pressures cannot justify the way Ammouta behaved towards Mahmoud.
The former Al-Ahly midfielder also questioned the team’s performances despite their strong start to the league campaign.
According to Abdelghani, Al-Ahly had not produced the level of football expected of them in their opening matches and Ammouta must address those shortcomings.
The draw with Al-Mokawloon Al-Arab therefore represented more than the end of Al-Ahly’s winning run. It also provided another opportunity for questions to be raised about the team’s performances and the decisions being made by the coaching staff.
Ammouta’s reaction towards Mahmoud has added another issue for the technical staff to manage as the season progresses.
Abdelghani questions Yasser Radwan appointment
Abdelghani also turned his attention to Ammouta’s coaching staff, specifically the appointment of Yasser Radwan as assistant coach.
The former Al-Ahly player questioned whether Radwan possesses the necessary coaching experience to support Ammouta at the club.
He asked: “Who is Yasser Radwan? What is his experience in the Egyptian league on the coaching level?”
Abdelghani believes Al-Ahly should have appointed an assistant with substantial coaching experience who could provide Ammouta with greater support and help address problems within the squad.
His criticism is based partly on the need for the coaching staff to understand the particular characteristics of Egyptian players.
He argued that the assistant coach should play an important role in helping the head coach adapt to the local environment and manage the squad effectively.
Abdelghani said this was especially important because “the technical director must quickly understand the nature of the Egyptian player.”
For the former Al-Ahly midfielder, the issue extends beyond the confrontation between Ammouta and Mahmoud.
He believes the club needs a stronger technical structure around the manager, while Ammouta must also find ways to improve Al-Ahly’s performances.
The Egyptian champions remain unbeaten after four league matches, having won three and drawn one, but the latest result has ended their 100% record.
Attention will now turn to whether Ammouta can respond to the criticism by improving the team’s performances and managing the pressure surrounding his position.
The incident with Mahmoud is also likely to remain a talking point, particularly after Abdelghani publicly condemned the coach’s behaviour.
