One of the most important friendlies ever played was this match with Korea inwhich in severly cold weather, it was the Egyptians who were up for the task and won 1-0 in the 15th minute after a very impressive performance was made with Shehata directing it all from the bench, the defenders of Egypt somehow were able to defeat the forwards of Korea and never seemed to give up, Emad Motaab was the scorer, while Egypt dominated.

In the retire ceremony of Khaled Gar Allah, Ahly faced El Kewait in Kuwait for the final goodbye for this great Arab player, Ahly won El Kewait through Osama Hassan and Bibo, Abd Allah Nihar scored for El Kewait. This match was a rehersal for the big clash with Zamalek on Saturday the 12 of Feburary, where Da Silva tried on 2 different formations in the game.

This was Ahly's first match since the last match with Al Hillal Al Sauodi from Saudia Arabia in the Arab Champions league 2003-2004 inwhich both played and tied 0-0 in Egypt.

Ahly won Baladia in the last minute of the second half from a correct penalty kick taken by Emad Motaab, Ahly played their worst match of the season, which is the case usually when Ahly plays in Mahala City. Emad also scored the first goal for Ahly which was responded to in the second half by Baladia, the match ended 2-1.

Ahly is now waiting for the no. 2 Cairo-Ismaily derby between Zamalek and Ismaily in Cairo, which ended 2-1for the Cairo side in the first leg. If Zamalek wins, Ahly wins the title of the Egyptian League breaking Zamalek's record of winning the title which is "before the end of the league by 4 weeks" made just last season. If 2nd place Ismaily wins, the traditional Egyptian Cairo derby between Ahly and Zamalek will -like last season when Zamalek won, they also won the title- tell if Ahly takes the title or not.

The 2004 CAF Awards nominees were announced and only 2 Egyptian names were unvieled and 3 Arab countries were included while there was only one Egyptian club mentioned and 4 Arabian clubs from only 2 Arab countries were mentioned, the report as follows:

1- African Player Of the Year: Emmanuel Adebayor (Monaco and Togo), Didier Drogba (Chelsea and Ivory Coast), Samuel Eto'o (Barcelona and Cameroon), Benni McCarthy (FC Porto and South Africa), Jay-Jay Okocha (Bolton Wanderers and Nigeria)

2- Team of the Year: Ivory Coast, Morocco, Tunisia

3- Club of the Year: Enyimba (Nigeria), Etoile Sahel (Tunisia), Hearts of Oak (Ghana)

4- Coach of the Year: Okey Emordi (Enyimba, Nigeria), Badou Ezaki (Morocco), Roger Lemerre (Tunisia)

5- African Goalkeeper of the Year: Ali Boumnijel (Club Africain and Tunisia), Vincent Enyeama (Enyimba and Nigeria), Idriss Carlos Kameni (Espanyol, Spain and Cameroon)

6- Young Player of the Year: Marouane Chamakh (Bordeaux, France and Morocco), Ahmed Fathi (Ismaili and Egypt), Obafemi Martins (Inter Milan, Italy and Nigeria)

7- Best African Champions League Plyer: Zoubeir Baya (Etoile Sahel, Tunisia), Vincent Enyeama (Enyimba, Nigeria), Ali Zitouni (Esperance, Tunisia

8- African Legends award: Mahmoud Al Khatib (Egypt), Pierre Kalala (DR Congo), George Weah (Liberia)

FIFA announced on its website that record holders for the title of " Team With Most Won Matches Without a Draw or a Deafeat" Celtic Glasgow - not Rangers as previously reported - are still undefeated with 25 matches as Africa's Club of the Century were haulted by Masri in Cairo.

Ahly manager Manuel Jose stressed that making a record wasn't a "top priority" and that wininig the coming matches especially against Zamalek will even sweeten the taste of victory and the winning of the Egyptian League Trophy that was out of reach for 4 years now.

For more info go to:

http://www.fifa.com/en/mens/index/0,2527,105129,00.html?articleid=105129

Capt. Taher Abo Zaid has expressed his opinion to Al Jazeera News Network in a private meeting with one of the network's sports programmes and has expressed his hope of Arab soccer stars to join forces and play a friendly charity match for the sake of Tsunami victims in South East Asia in the Arab and African renoiuned Cairo International Stadium after the modifications to the stadium have ended.

It's worth mentioning that Cairo International Stadium is being modified first for the World Cup 2010 bid -which was lost - , and secondly for the African Cup of Nations in 2006, and will be completed by anywhere between Feburary and April. (14 Jan.2005)