Ahly coach Jose welcomes contract renewal

Ahly’s Portuguese coach Manuel Jose Da Silva has opened the door Sunday to extending his current contract with the Cairo giants. Recent reports claimed that the 66-year-old coach would end his third stint with the club when his current contract runs out in June as football activity in the country is in doubt since February's Port Said disaster. “Jose welcomed the idea of extending his contract with the club at today’s football committee meeting,” the club revealed in a statement on its official website on Sunday. “Club president Hassan Hamdy is supposed to hold a meeting after the team’s coming clash in the CAF Champions League to finalise all the renewal details,” added the statement. Jose is a cult figure among Ahly's faithful, given that he led the team to a host of titles during his three stints at the club, including four African Champions League triumphs and seven league titles. Adoring Ahly fans have also appreciated his consistent and outspoken defence of the club during recent crises. The Red Devils travel to Mali on Thursday to take on Stade Malien in the CAF Champions League round of 16 next Sunday as they vie for the prestigious title for the first time since 2008.