Shehata Wants Potential Play-Off Date Change

Egypt national coach Hassan Shehata © MTNfootball.com

Egypt national coach Hassan Shehata wants a potential league title play-off match between Al Ahly and Ismaily to be held on June 10, some three weeks after the end of the regular season.

The reasons given are that the national side will go into camp on May 25 ahead of the crucial 2010 World Cup/Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Algeria on June 7, and Shehata is worried about the impact of such a crucial game on the players’ physical and mental state should it be played beforehand.

But Ahly have reportedly dismissed the proposed date outright, as coach Jose Manuel leaves his post at the end of May and therefore would not be available to take charge for the game.

Ahly and Ismaily are level on points going into the final round of matches to be played this coming weekend and should they match each other’s results, a play-off tie will be played to determine the winner of the league, which Egyptian rules sate cannot be won on goal-difference.