Zamalek head coach Motamed Gamal. Photo courtesy of Zamalek.
The Cairo giants kept their Egyptian Premier League title bid firmly on track with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Smouha at Borg El-Arab Stadium in Alexandria, leaving them needing just a single point from their final match to be crowned champions.
The Cairo side, who had seen their five-point lead at the summit dwindle following a goalless draw with Enppi and a heavy 3-0 derby defeat by Ahly, restored their momentum with a narrow win that keeps their fate firmly in their own hands.
“Till now, we haven’t secured anything yet. We will close the page of the league temporarily to concentrate on the final of the CAF Confederation Cup,” the coach said in the press conference after the game.
“Zamalek face difficult circumstances because of the dense schedule as we will directly travel to Algeria on Wednesday to face USM Alger,” he added.
Zamalek will be facing the Algerian team in the continental tournament’s final first leg on Saturday.
With Tuesday’s result, Zamalek maintain top spot on 53 points, two clear of Pyramids FC, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Ceramica Cleopatra, and three ahead of title holders Ahly, who defeated Enppi 3-0 on the same day.
The victory means Zamalek require just a single point from their final fixture, away to Ceramica Cleopatra on 20 May, to be crowned Egyptian Premier League champions for the first time since 2022.
Coach Gamal finally hailed the club fans for their continuous support for the team, thanking his players for their determination and the quick recovery after the 3-0 loss to archrivals Ahly.
“Now Zamalek is just one step away from achieving the league target, but our full concentration will be on the Confederation Cup starting from Wednesday,” he concluded.
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