Al Ittihad Alexandria chairman Mohamed Ahmed Salama hails ‘satisfying’ draw with Zamalek

Mohamed Ahmed Salama, chairman of Al Ittihad Alexandria, described his side’s goalless draw with Zamalek as a positive result, while insisting the newly assembled squad needs time to develop understanding and consistency.

Al Ittihad held Zamalek to a 0-0 draw in their opening Egyptian league match of the season at Cairo International Stadium. Salama believes his team could have taken all three points, particularly after creating the better opportunities in the second half.

“We achieved a satisfying draw against Zamalek and were the closer side to winning, but for bad luck in the second half,” Salama told FilGoal.com.

The result was an encouraging start for a team that has undergone significant change during the summer. Al Ittihad completed 24 signings in the transfer window, more than any other club in the league this season, leaving coach Hamza El-Gamal with the task of building a cohesive side from a largely new group of players.

Salama said the early performance should be viewed in that context and called for patience as the squad works towards greater unity.

“It is a promising start given that we have built an entirely new team. The team certainly needs some time to achieve cohesion and understanding, and we must be patient,” he added.

The Al Ittihad chairman also expressed confidence in the players recruited during the summer, saying the club had targeted footballers with ambition and potential. He expects them to produce more as the season progresses.

“We signed players who have ambition and promising talent, and we are waiting for more from them. I would like to thank Hamza El-Gamal and his staff for managing the match with a high degree of professionalism,” Salama said.

El-Gamal took charge of Al Ittihad during the current summer and began his tenure with a result against one of the leading sides in Egyptian football. The draw was also the first time Zamalek and Al Ittihad had finished a match 0-0 since 2023.

The outcome extended El-Gamal’s unbeaten run in his last four matches against Zamalek. During that sequence, his teams have recorded two wins and two draws.

Zamalek will next face National Bank of Egypt in the second round. National Bank of Egypt lost at the same time as the opening round to Abu Qir Fertilizers.

Al Ittihad, meanwhile, will play their next match at Alexandria Stadium, where they will host Ceramica Cleopatra. The fixture will provide another opportunity for El-Gamal’s reshaped squad to build on its opening performance and begin developing the cohesion the club believes will be essential to its progress.