Jose Peseiro hails team spirit after Zamalek’s thrilling Egypt Cup victory over Ceramica

Zamalek’s Portuguese tactician, Jose Peseiro, brimmed with pride as his squad edged out Ceramica Cleopatra 2-1 on Friday at Cairo Stadium, securing a spot in the Egypt Cup final.

The hard-fought victory showcased the team’s resilience, a quality Peseiro was quick to celebrate in the aftermath.

Speaking at the press conference, he said, “I salute the Zamalek fans, who have always supported the team. The match was tough, but we performed well and deserved the win. I also thank Ceramica and their coach, Ali Maher, for the strong performance.”

When asked about Abdullah Al-Saeed’s missed penalty, Peseiro shrugged it off. “Missing penalty kicks is normal in football, but the most important thing is that the team did not give up and succeeded in achieving victory and qualifying for the final.”

On deploying Mustafa Shalaby up top, he added, “His participation comes in light of Nasser Mansi’s return from a health problem. I’ve tried him in this position before, and I have confidence in his abilities.”

Peseiro also defended Ahmed Zizo, noting, “He played great matches with the Egyptian national team and was the best in its ranks.” He explained his cautious approach, saying, “Because of the great effort he put in with the national team, I preferred to rest him and not include him from the start, because playing him for 30 minutes at full capacity is better than playing 90 minutes that might expose him to injury.”