Zamalek are close to appointing veteran Portuguese coach Jesualdo Ferreira as their new boss following the shock departure of his compatriot Jaime Pacheco.

The Cairo giants have been managed by Pacheco's assistant Mohamed Salah since the 56-year-old departed in an acrimonious manner after falling out with outspoken chairman Mortada Mansour.

"We have been in talks with Ferreira for some time now. We didn't reveal anything about the negotiations in order not to destabilize the club ahead of the Cairo derby," Mansour, who spent big last summer to bolster an underachieving squad, said in a television interview.

Zamalek threw away their lead to play out a 1-1 draw with Ahly in Thursday's Cairo derby, extending their winless run against their arch-rivals to 19 games.

The league leaders kept their eight-point advantage over Ahly intact though as they seek to win their first league title since 2004, after which their bitter foes won eight straight crowns.

Ferreira, 68, has a plenty of experience in European football, particularly in his homeland. His only spell in Africa was with Morocco's FAR Rabat in 1995-1996.

His best achievements and most successful stint came with Portuguese giants Porto, whom he led to three league titles and two cup triumphs during his four seasons at the helm.

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