I am not responsible for defeat, says Abdul-Hamid

Ahli goalkeeper Amir Abdul-Hamid hit back at critics, following the Red Devils' elimination from the Club World Cup on Saturday.

كتب : Omar AbdelAziz

الأحد، 14 ديسمبر 2008 - 12:11
Ahli goalkeeper Amir Abdul-Hamid hit back at critics, following the Red Devils' elimination from the Club World Cup on Saturday.

Abdul-Hamid conceded four goals as Ahli were soundly beaten by Mexico's Pachuca 4-2 in Tokyo, despite having a two-goal advantage at half-time.

Abdul-Hamid was widely criticized by the media after the game, but the 30-year-old refused to play scapegoat for the team's failure.

"It is not about Amir, the whole team lost and all players are responsible, not just me," he told Ahli TV.

"I heard the criticism against me on TV after the match, but I can tell you that some of them are personal.

"The same people who criticized me at the end of the game, said I was a hero at half-time, which proves they are dishonest."

Abdul-Hamid defended himself against doubters who questioned his ability to fill in the gap left by Essam Al-Hadari between the posts.

"I helped the team win the league, the Super Cup and the Champions League since I became number one," he said.

"But once the team lose a game, they say Amir cannot handle it."

Second Goal

In the wake of the defeat, Egypt goalkeeping coach Ahmed Soliman deemed Abdul-Hamid responsible for Pachuca's equalizer from a set piece.

However, the Ahli guardian explained that Christian Gimenez's well-placed free kick was almost impossible to deal with.

"The free kick was from a very difficult position for any goalkeeper; it was at the center of the box. It was also perfectly-executed, so I didn’t have a chance," he added.

"I tried to organize the wall, but it was an excellent free kick."