Former Egypt international goalkeeper Ahmed Shobeir has lavished praise on Ceramica Cleopatra following their impressive Egypt Cup triumph over Zamalek, describing the club’s head coach Ali Maher as the finest tactician in the Egyptian League.
Speaking after Ceramica’s 2-1 victory over the defending champions in the round of 16 at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium, Shobeir congratulated the club’s management and players for a performance he described as mature and well-organised against one of the country’s traditional giants.
The tie produced a dramatic evening, with Zamalek bowing out of the competition despite entering the match as holders.
Ceramica took an early lead after Hossam Abdel-Maguid turned the ball into his own net, before Mohamed Ismail restored parity for Zamalek shortly before the interval.
The second half swung decisively in Ceramica’s favour when Ahmed Belhadj fired home a powerful strike in the 70th minute, sealing the win despite Sadik Igola having missed a penalty ten minutes earlier.
The victory propelled Ceramica Cleopatra into the quarter-finals, where they will face Tala’ea El-Gaish, with the winner set to take on Team Z in the semi-finals.
During his radio programme “With Shobeir” on On Sport Radio, the former national team goalkeeper devoted significant time to praising head coach Ali Maher, insisting that his impact goes far beyond a single cup upset.
Shobeir described Maher as “the best coach in the Egyptian League,” underlining the gap he believes exists between him and his peers.
“Ali Maher is the best coach in the Egyptian League by a huge margin over those who follow him. Of all the 21 coaches in the Egyptian League, the best of them by a huge margin is Ali Maher,” he said.
Shobeir also cautioned other clubs against underestimating Ceramica Cleopatra’s ambitions this season, stressing that the team should not be ruled out of the title race in the league, given their consistency, organisation, and the clear tactical identity instilled by their coach.
