The Ittihad coach explains the details of the request to face Al Ahly in a friendly match and reveals the reason for its cancellation.
Ahmed Hassan Maki, coach of Al Ittihad Alexandria, clarified the details regarding attempts to arrange a friendly match with Al Ahly during the current break, noting that commitments from the Red Devils prevented the match from taking place at this time.
Maki said: "We requested to play a friendly match with Al Ahly during the current international break, and I contacted Wael Gomaa, the football director at Al Ahly, but they had already finalized an agreement with Misr El Makasa to play a friendly match, as Hamza El Gamal, the coach of the Alexandria team, requested to play against a big team, so we chose Al Ahly."
The Al Ittihad Alexandria coach indicated that the technical staff was keen on arranging a strong match during the break to maintain the players' readiness and benefit from facing a team with strong elements, which made Al Ahly one of the options considered by the coaching staff.
The proposal to face Al Ahly in a friendly remains on the table
Maki added: "We may play a friendly match with Al Ahly in the next break," confirming that the idea of holding the match is still open and can be agreed upon during the upcoming break if the commitments of both teams align.
Al Ittihad Alexandria's desire to play strong friendly matches is part of the coaching staff's plan to maintain the players' readiness, especially those who do not participate regularly in official matches, in addition to giving players returning from injuries a chance to gradually regain their fitness.
The coming period is expected to witness more coordination between the two clubs if an agreement is reached to hold the match, especially since the commitments of Al Ahly and Al Ittihad Alexandria during the season will be the main factor in determining the date of the friendly and the possibility of its occurrence.
