Amouta praises Al Ahly’s derby victory and underlines Mohamed El Shenawy’s importance

Al Ahly manager Hussein Amouta said his side deserved its 2-0 victory over rivals Zamalek in the Egyptian Premier League on Sunday, while stressing that both Mohamed El Shenawy and Mostafa Shobeir remain important to the club.

Mohamed Hany opened the scoring in the 39th minute with a shot before Algerian forward Monsef Bakrar added a second in the 80th minute, sending a low effort into the far corner of El Mahdy Soliman’s goal.

Speaking at his post-match news conference, Amouta said the result was particularly satisfying given the circumstances surrounding the fixture.

“An Al Ahly-Zamalek derby is always difficult. This match was very hard, especially because the players had only recently returned from international duty,” he said.

“Our win was deserved, particularly after we scored two goals.”

Amouta also praised the performances of Tawfik Mohamed and Achraf Dari, explaining that both players had been prepared during the international break. Al Ahly played three friendly matches during that period as the coaching staff worked to improve the readiness of several players.

“Tawfik Mohamed and Achraf Dari performed brilliantly,” Amouta said. “We put together a programme during the international break and played three friendly matches. We worked on preparing players such as Achraf Dari and Tawfik Mohamed, especially because we have had some serious injuries in defence.”

The Moroccan coach was also asked about his goalkeeping options and insisted the club needed both El Shenawy and Shobeir.

“We need Mohamed El Shenawy and Shobeir. Both are extremely important for us,” he said. “Mostafa Shobeir is Egypt’s first-choice goalkeeper, but we cannot forget what El Shenawy has given Al Ahly and the Egypt national team over a long period.”

Amouta made changes after the interval, bringing on Monsef Bakrar and Omar El Saai. He also defended Emam Ashour, whose performance had come under scrutiny, and highlighted Zizo’s ability to operate in several positions.

“In the second half, we needed to make some changes, so we brought on Monsef Bakrar and Omar El Saai,” he said. “Some people may think Emam Ashour did not perform at the required level, but he had a good match.

“Zizo also had an excellent game. He played on both the right and left wings and, after Ashour went off, he played as a number 10.”

In comments to Al Ahly’s television channel, Amouta again emphasised the demands of the fixture.

“It is not easy to beat Zamalek. It required a great deal of mental and physical effort,” he said. “The players were disciplined and showed their abilities, particularly the forwards, in creating chances.

“Winning by two goals means a lot to us. Al Ahly is a big club, the Club of the Century, and has wonderful supporters.”