Zamalek coach Moataz Gamal says side deserved two penalties in Al Ahly defeat

Zamalek coach Moataz Gamal said his team should have been awarded two penalties during their 2-0 loss to Al Ahly in the sixth round of the Egyptian Premier League.

The Cairo derby was played at Cairo Stadium, where Al Ahly secured their 53rd league victory over Zamalek. Zamalek have beaten their rivals 29 times, while the two sides have drawn 51 league meetings.

“We had to change our formation because of absences, injuries and Adi Dabagh’s illness after he returned,” Gamal said at his post-match news conference. “Adam Kaied was also injured during the warm-up before the game. At the very least, Zamalek deserved two penalties today against Al Ahly.”

Gamal admitted his side had struggled during the opening half and said the first goal had come through an element of misfortune.

“Zamalek were not good in the first half and luck was not on our side,” he said. “We conceded a goal after the ball hit one of our players and changed direction. We tried to equalise before half-time, but we were unable to do so.”

He felt Zamalek improved after the break but failed to take their opportunities before conceding again.

“We were better in the second half, but we did not convert the chances we created,” Gamal added. “Then we conceded the second goal. We will close the file on this match and begin focusing on an important game against the Rwandan Army in the CAF Champions League.”

Gamal praised his players for their efforts and said the team had adapted to difficult circumstances. Zamalek will now look to secure a positive result in the first leg against the Rwandan side.

“All the players gave everything in the match,” he said. “We have to forget this game and concentrate on the next one in the CAF Champions League. We adapted to the difficult conditions and hope to achieve a positive result in the first leg against the Rwandan Army.”

He said both Al Ahly goals had followed minor mistakes and explained his decision to start Ahmed Sherif.

“We conceded two goals because of simple errors, and we will work to correct them so they are not repeated,” Gamal said. “I started Ahmed Sherif because of his pace and because his runs provided Zamalek’s danger in the first half.”

Gamal also apologised to Zamalek’s supporters, saying he had wanted to give them a victory.

“The defeat is not harsh,” he said. “That is football, and I do not want the result to affect my team. No player fell short. If we look at possession, it was 50%-50%, and we missed several chances. A heavy defeat means losing by a large number of goals.”

He added: “This match is not a war. We worked with the resources available to us and were unlucky. I wanted to make Zamalek’s supporters happy.”

The result was Hussein Ammouta’s first victory in the derby as Al Ahly manager. Gamal has now lost both of his matches against Al Ahly as Zamalek manager, following a 3-0 defeat last season and the 2-0 loss this season.

The victory moved Al Ahly temporarily top of the table on 16 points, while Zamalek suffered their first defeat and remain third on 13 points.