Ahli bus stoned in Algeria

Osama Hosni sustained an eye injury after Ahli's bus was stoned while the team was on its way to a training pitch ahead of Sunday's clash at Algerian side JS Kabylie.<br>

كتب : Hatem Maher

السبت، 14 أغسطس 2010 - 23:48
Osama Hosni sustained an eye injury after Ahli's bus was stoned while the team was on its way to a training pitch ahead of Sunday's clash at Algerian side JS Kabylie.

"Some people suddenly emerged from the side of the road between mountains and stoned the bus," Ibrahim Al-Meneisi, head of Ahli's magazine who accompanied the team in their Algerian trip, told Egyptian radio on Saturday.

"One of the stones injured the eye of (striker) Hosni. He was treated inside the bus.

"The Algerian security forces are trying to capture the people who threw the stones."

Central defender Ahmed Al-Sayed was also hurt but his injury is minor, Ahli said on their official website.

The Egyptian champions also revealed that they reported the incident to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) representative.

The incident comes few days after Ahli expressed their gratitude to Kabylie for their warm reception ahead of the African Champions League tie.

At Home

Ahli's classy playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika said on Thursday that he felt at home after arriving in Algeria while stressing on the 'strong bond' between the two Arab nations.

Kabylie also lauded the reception they got in Egypt following their 1-0 victory at fellow Egyptian side Ismaili.

Diplomatic relations between Algeria and Egypt were strained following two bad-tempered World Cup qualifiers last year.

Both sides hurled accusations at each other for 'stirring hatred' as the matter escalated.

Tensions have notably eased during the past few months amid reconciliation efforts at both ends.

"What happened today is an individual act that will not affect the Egyptian-Algerian relations," Ahli chairman Hassan Hamdi said.

"It will not affect the players, everything is fine now."

Seven-time African champions Ahli meet Kabylie at 11 November Stadium in Tizi Ouzou city on Sunday night.

Kabylie top Group B with maximum six points, two ahead of second-placed Ahli who settled for a 1-1 draw at Nigeria's Heartland in the first game before defeating compatriots Ismaili 2-1.

Heartland and Ismaili, who lie third and fourth respectively, lock horns in the other group game earlier in the day.