Zamalek boss Moataz Gamal says team must solve ‘difficult equation’ after goalless draw

Zamalek manager Moataz Gamal described the conditions surrounding his team as difficult after the holders opened their Egyptian Premier League title defence with a goalless draw against Al Ittihad Alexandria at Cairo International Stadium.

The match, which began at 20:00, produced the first 0-0 draw between the two sides since 2023. Gamal said his players deserved praise for their efforts despite the challenges facing the club.

“I am not complaining, and that is not my habit, but we are working against logic, so I thank the players for what they gave,” he said at his post-match news conference.

Zamalek are attempting to balance the need for results with the demands of preparing and protecting their squad. Gamal said that managing those competing priorities had created a difficult task at the start of the campaign.

“There is a difficult equation required of us,” he said. “We want to win and produce a good performance, while at the same time preparing the players and protecting them. I cannot put more pressure on the players than this, so I thank them once again for their effort.”

The Zamalek manager added that his side had hoped to settle the contest before half-time, although he believed there were positive aspects from the performance which could be developed.

“We were looking to finish the match in the first half, but there are many positives that we will build on in the coming period. At the same time, there are negatives that we will work to avoid and address,” he said.

Gamal also explained that his substitutions were made with player welfare in mind. He said Omar Gaber had experienced fatigue and that Mohamed Farag was considered as a replacement to avoid taking an unnecessary risk.

“As for the changes I made, they were aimed at preserving the players and avoiding injuries,” Gamal said. “I thought about bringing on Mohamed Farag instead of Omar Gaber after Omar felt tired. The aim was to protect him and not take a risk with him.”

Asked about the impact of Bezera’s absence, Gamal declined to discuss matters away from the pitch and instead backed the players available to him.

“Am I talking about the impact of Bezera’s absence? I only talk about football, and the players who work with me are the best players in Egypt. I did not address or speak about any crises outside the pitch,” he said.

He said the need to rotate the squad at this stage was a consequence of the circumstances surrounding Zamalek, rather than a plan he would normally have used at the beginning of a season.

“The rotation of players that I might have done at the end of the season, I am doing now at the beginning of the league because of the surrounding circumstances, which are going against logic,” he said. “That is to protect the players and prevent them from suffering injuries.”

Gamal insisted he was not offering excuses, but pointed to the contrasting situations faced by Zamalek and some of their rivals. He said other teams had strengthened significantly in the transfer market, while Zamalek had been unable to do so because of a registration ban.

“I am not talking about excuses, and I also do not like talking about rival teams, but there are teams that strengthened their squads with a large number of signings, while Zamalek were unable to do so because of the registration ban,” he said. “We have also been working in pre-season for only 20 days.”

He also provided an update on the fitness of captain and experienced midfielder Abdullah El Said, saying the former Egypt international needed more time before fully integrating into the team.

“Abdullah El Said is a great player and one of the team’s leaders, but he needs some time to reach full fitness and settle into the team environment. He will be a strong addition for us in the coming period,” Gamal said.

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

Al Ittihad Alexandria will welcome Ceramica Cleopatra to Alexandria Stadium in their next league fixture.

Al Ittihad manager Hamza El-Gamal has now avoided defeat in his last four matches against Zamalek, recording two wins and two draws.