A 7-0 first-leg victory that all but sealed Zamalek's progress to the African Confederation Cup third round will give the Egyptian giants the chance to test some fringe players at CotonTchad on Sunday.

The White Knights hit CotonTchad for seven in the second-round first leg in Cairo, with Congolese striker Kabongo Kasongo and rejuvenated winger Mostafa Fathi scoring two goals apiece.

The comprehensive win ensured there would be no repeat of last season's fiasco when Zamalek exited the Confederation Cup at the first hurdle following a stunning shootout defeat by Ethiopia's Wolaitta Dicha.

Zamalek's Swiss boss Christian Gross, who has won over the team's faithful after a string of fine results in the Egyptian Premier League, is expected to give a chance to some usual back-ups to prove their worth.

"The match is not as easy as many people think. I spoke to the players and stressed that we need to achieve a good result, especially that our opponents will be looking to make up for the first-leg loss," Gross was quoted as saying by Zamalek's official website.

Zamalek are now the only Egyptian representative in Africa's secondary club competition after Masry were eliminated following a 2-0 aggregate defeat by Burkina Faso's Salitas on Saturday.

Ahly, Zamalek's Cairo rivals, are the only Egyptian side to win the Confederation Cup, having lifted the trophy in 2014.

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