Ahly’s Jose promises to reach semifinals despite defeat

After a 1-0 defeat to Tunisian side Esperance in the CAF Champions League Group B, Ahly’s coach Manuel Jose blamed himself along with his players for the defeat, promising to do his best to reach the tournament semifinals. “I am depressed by the defeat, but I promise to do my best to book a place in the semifinals,” the Portuguese Jose told the post-match press conference. “The game was balanced but after 10 minutes the Esperance players made use of Ahly players’ mistakes and edged to score,” he added. “In the second halftime we dominated the Tunisian side, but failed to find the back of the net as we lost five effective chances,” the 65-year-old tactician said. The Ahly manager revealed also that losing to Esperance doesn’t mean quitting the championship and says he won’t lose any chance to qualify for the semifinals. “We have mistakes in the defense area but they are not responsible for the defeat,” Jose announced. “I hope the new signings, winger Ahmed Shedid Qinawi and Brazilian striker Fabio Junior help the team in the remaining games of the championship.” The 2006 CAF Coach of the Year praised the Tunisian side’s performance, saying “Esperance players played well and they deserve the victory.” The Portuguese coach revealed that he will give his players a two-day before start preparations for the coming game against Algerian side Mouloudia Alger.   Ahly placed third in the Group B ranking, three behind Moroccan leaders Wydad and runners up Esperance.