Motamed Gamal Photo: (Al-Ahram)
The Cairo giants lost in the fifth round of the Group D stage, leaving qualification to be decided in the final round.
“The game was very difficult, and we faced a strong team. We were missing several players due to suspensions and injuries, which affected us,” Gamal said at a press conference after the match.
Sunday’s loss was Zamalek’s first in the group stage. The team had previously won twice and drawn the other two matches.
Gamal also sought to boost his players’ morale, saying he remained optimistic ahead of the final round.
“We didn’t want to talk about these difficult circumstances ahead of the game, but I would like to thank my players as all appeared in the best shape and exerted great effort,” the Zamalek coach explained.
“Our chances to reach the next round as group leaders are still alive,” he added.
Despite the win, Zesco United remain at the bottom of the group with three points and are already eliminated.
Meanwhile, Zamalek dropped to second place with eight points, two behind group leaders South Africa’s Kaizer Chiefs, who beat Egypt’s Masry 2-1. Masry now sit third with seven points.
Zamalek face a must-win home game against Kaizer Chiefs on Saturday to secure their spot in the knockout stages.
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