Thorup: Al Ahly deserved a penalty and are playing under difficult conditions

Al Ahly head coach Jess Thorup said his side delivered a strong performance against Ceramica Cleopatra in their Egyptian Premier League clash and deserved a clear penalty.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, he said: “I reviewed the incident carefully, and we should have been awarded a penalty. Despite that, we kept pushing until the final moment, even with the frustration that affected the players.”

“We prepared well for the match, but the lack of fairness is extremely disappointing. We controlled the game and created numerous chances,” he added.

Thorup continued: “It is not reasonable for the situation to be like this. We are playing matches under difficult conditions, and the pitches are in significant decline. This does not reflect the stature of the league.”

He noted that the team started the season strongly, winning the Egyptian Super Cup, before competitions were halted for a long period, followed by exits from the Egypt Cup and the CAF Champions League. “Things have become difficult, but we will continue working until the final round,” he said.

He concluded: “Every match has its own lineup, and the technical staff always selects what is best. No player intends to make mistakes. All the players have great ability, and we make several changes to improve performance and energize the team.”