Modern Sport’s attacking kick-off against Al Ahly has drawn criticism from the Egyptian club’s football director Wael Gomaa, but the tactic that frustrated him is a recognised football strategy that has been used by several teams.
The incident occurred during the eighth round of the Egyptian Premier League, when Modern Sport sent eight players forward from the halfway line immediately after kick-off. Gomaa questioned the approach, suggesting that it was disrespectful to Al Ahly.
Speaking to Al Ahly’s television channel after the match, he said: “I did not like the kick-off from Modern Sport team, with all due respect to their coach. This is not the kind of thing that happens to Al-Ahly, with 8 players rushing down the midfield towards the center of the Red team’s field.”
The discussion around the incident continued after Al Mokawloon Al Arab used a similar approach in their subsequent meeting with Al Ahly, raising questions about the thinking behind the tactic and whether Modern Sport had introduced something new.
However, the strategy is neither unique to Modern Sport nor a recent invention. It is an established method of trying to catch opponents off guard in the opening seconds of a match.
A regular feature of Modern Sport’s approach
The attacking kick-off has become part of the tactical preparations of some teams, allowing them to launch an immediate attack before their opponents have settled into their defensive positions.
Rather than simply passing the ball backwards to begin a match, teams can use the first few seconds to put pressure on the opposition and create an unexpected attacking opportunity.
Modern Sport, coached by Mohamed Amine Benhachem, have used this approach on several occasions this season.
The same routine was reportedly seen in their league fixture against Zed, as well as in matches against Ceramica Cleopatra and Enppi. This suggests that the move is a planned element of Benhachem’s tactical approach rather than an improvised response to Al Ahly.
The repetition of the tactic in different matches also indicates that the coaching staff have incorporated it into their preparations, with the intention of exploiting the uncertainty that can follow the referee’s opening whistle.
Other teams have used the same strategy
Modern Sport are not the only side to have recognised the potential of an attacking kick-off. Several clubs have employed similar routines, with some managing to score early goals by taking advantage of opponents who are not yet properly organised.
The tactic was also seen recently in the Algerian league, where a similar move led directly to an early goal.
Its effectiveness depends largely on the element of surprise, the timing of the passes and the movement of players into attacking positions. By committing several players forward immediately, a team can force the opposition defence to react quickly and deal with multiple threats.
How the attacking kick-off works
The routine usually begins with a short pass from the centre spot to a nearby team-mate. The player who receives the ball then moves as though preparing to advance and join the attack, but instead stops and remains available for another pass.
After the initial exchanges, the ball is returned to the first player, who then sends a longer pass into the space behind the opposition’s defensive line.
At the same time, several team-mates make forward runs, aiming to reach the ball or exploit gaps left by defenders who may have been drawn towards the initial movement.
The success of the move depends on more than the quality of the long pass. The short exchanges are designed to create uncertainty about the team’s intentions, while the sudden change in direction can leave defenders with little time to reorganise.
Opponents may initially expect a conventional short build-up and move forward to press the ball. That reaction can create space behind them, which the attacking team then attempts to exploit.
Sending several players forward also gives the player delivering the long pass different options, while making it harder for defenders to identify which runs require immediate attention.
Although Gomaa expressed his displeasure with Modern Sport’s approach, the tactic itself is part of a wider range of set-piece and kick-off strategies used in modern football. Its purpose is straightforward: use the first moments of a match to surprise the opposition and create an opportunity before the defensive structure is fully established.
