Zamalek interim coach Moatamed Gamal. Zamalek Official website
The Cairo giants will be hosting their Libyan counterparts at Alexandria’s Borg El-Arab stadium in the first round of the prestigious continental tournament group stage.
“We are looking for a strong start especially as Zamalek’s previous starts at the Confederation Cup were not so successful,” Gamal said in the pre-match press conference on Saturday.
“We are suffering from several absentees, but at the same time, we have some experienced players. We will use some players in different positions to overcome the absence of their teammates,” he added.
Zamalek were drawn in Group B, alongside Abo Selim from Libya, Guinea's SOAR, and Angola's Sagrada Esperanca.
Despite their optimism, Zamalek’s coach refused to underestimate the team’s opponent, insisting that the Whites prepared seriously for Sunday’s game.
“Our opponent is a newcomer at the Confederation Cup but they deliver modern football. Also, the team has a host of excellent players besides a top technical staff. They managed to beat big names in the preliminary round,” the Zamalek coach explained.
“The start should be a strong one and our players realize that well. There is no way to grant gifts for our opponents and my players will do their best in the opening game.
“Zamalek prepared well for the game and we played two friendly games and we are targeting the farthest point in the competition,” the coach concluded.
In the tournament’s preliminary round, Zamalek prevailed over Arta Solar from Djibouti with an aggregate score of 4-3.
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