Al Ahly's encounter with Al-Anwar was more than just a ticket to the last 16 of the Egyptian Cup for Marino Bósetic. It represented the Dutch coach's first genuine opportunity to know his team under conditions that training does not provide: an opponent that resists, a goal that is delayed, pressure that mounts and a knockout tie that leaves no room for mistakes.
Al Ahly left Hawtat Bani Tamim with a 2-1 victory. Eduard Spertsian opened the scoring in the 61st minute, Wynderson Galeno added the second in the 89th, and Al-Anwar pulled one back in stoppage time. But the scoreline was not all that Bósetic took from his second official match.
The coach who inherited a squad prepared mostly before his arrival does not have the luxury of time. For this reason he turned these opening matches into a laboratory to get to know his players and test their ability to execute his ideas under pressure. From the start it was clear that Bósetic was looking to breach Al-Anwar's goal in a specific way: greater speed in ball circulation, continuous movement in the spaces, avoid unproductive possession and increase chances in the final third.
Al Ahly did much of what their coach demanded in terms of play creation and chance creation. However, they simultaneously exposed the problem that most concerned Bósetic: how to resolve matches when the advantage is within reach. The goal drought until the 61st minute subjected the team to a psychological and technical test. Al Ahly attacked, Al-Anwar resisted, the minutes passed. Here Bósetic obtained answers that perhaps mattered more than an early comfortable victory: he saw who keeps calm when the goal is delayed, who keeps asking for the ball, how the team reacts when the scoreline does not reward their superiority.
From the touchline, Bósetic never stopped directing. His irritation was generally linked to a player's position, a decision with the ball, an incomplete movement or a reaction after losing possession. Even after Al Ahly went ahead, his demands did not ease, indicating that the scoreline does not exempt players from following his instructions. After the match, the coach confirmed that his team reached the final third and created clear chances, but did not take them as they should have.
Here lies the most important observation he drew: creating opportunities does not represent complete success if the opponent remains in the match until its final minutes. Even Al-Anwar's goal in stoppage time provided him with additional material. After Galeno scored in the 89th minute, the match should have been virtually over, but conceding a late goal gave Bósetic a direct example of the importance of maintaining concentration until the end.
These details become more relevant because the Dutchman is working under different circumstances to a coach starting a season after a full pre-season. He arrived after most of the preparation had concluded, so he does not seem inclined to dismantle what came before and rebuild, but rather to identify what from the previous legacy works before gradually introducing his ideas.
The victory over Al-Duraiyya in his official debut, followed by the elimination of Al-Anwar, give him a calm start in terms of results and offer players the opportunity to prove themselves at a stage where the coach's options remain open. Bósetic is still discovering the best use of his players, who can respond to his demands and who to trust when matches become difficult.
For this reason the confrontation with Al-Anwar could have been more beneficial for Al Ahly had it ended with difficulty than had they resolved it early. It placed his players and his new coach in real circumstances, revealing to him aspects on which he needs to work. Al Ahly returned from Hawtat Bani Tamim with the pass to the next round. Bósetic returned with something he needs more at this stage: a clearer vision of his team when its character is put to the test.
