Zamalek victory leaves Bank Al Ahly boss Ayman El Ramady calling for answers

Bank Al Ahly manager Ayman El Ramady says his players must discover why they lacked courage in front of goal after suffering a heavy 3-0 defeat by Zamalek in a match he described as “very strange”.

Zamalek scored all three goals in the second half at Cairo International Stadium, with substitutes Chico Banza, Hossam Ashraf and Ahmed Abdel Rahim “Isho” finding the net.

The result leaves Bank Al Ahly without a point after two rounds of the league season and at the bottom of the table. Zamalek, meanwhile, moved temporarily into second place with four points from their opening two matches, having recorded one draw and one victory.

Speaking at his post-match news conference, El Ramady said: “The truth is that it was a very, very strange match, quite frankly. From the beginning of the first half, the players needed to show greater character in front of goal.”

He added: “We missed many, many chances and, in the end, lost by a big score. The same thing has happened to us for the second match in a row.”

El Ramady said Bank Al Ahly needed to examine the reasons behind their poor performances and warned that the club could take action against members of the squad.

“We need to take a hard look at ourselves to find out what is wrong and to make sure our character is stronger on the pitch,” he said.

Asked whether the players could face disciplinary measures, he replied: “It is very possible that there will be penalties for the players. The management must have a role in that because there is a state of indifference among the players, and we will never allow that.”

The manager acknowledged the influence of Zamalek’s supporters but insisted that Bank Al Ahly had been the dominant side before the interval.

“Certainly, the presence of Zamalek’s fans was a helping factor, but despite that I believe we had complete control in the first half and we were the ones who missed the chances,” he said.

El Ramady also suggested that his players may have underestimated the challenge because several Zamalek players had been absent during the club’s pre-season preparations.

“I believe the players made the match easier in their minds because Zamalek’s players had not taken part in the preparation period. We warned them about that and I stressed that the opening round was not a measure of anything,” he said.

He concluded: “The issue is that the players lost their courage, but it is a match to forget and we must look for the reasons behind the defeat.”

Zamalek’s substitutes ultimately decided the outcome of the second-round fixture, with Chico Banza, Hossam Ashraf and Ahmed Abdel Rahim “Isho” all scoring after coming off the bench.

Zamalek will play Petrojet on Monday in the third round, while Bank Al Ahly will continue their search for a first league point when they face Asyut Petroleum on the same day.