File Photo of Cairo giants Zamalek (Reuters)
A second-half header from Mahmoud Fathallah gave Zamalek an unconvincing 1-0 home win over Kabuscorp, whose massed ranks at the back kept their illustrious opponents at bay for long spells of the Champions League last 32 first-leg on Saturday.
Zamalek should, however, face no difficulty in securing passage to the round of 16 when they visit Kabiscorp next week, with the Angolan outfit offering little to suggest they might spring a surprise in the second leg.
The match was preceded by clashes between security forces and Zamalek's hardcore fans, who attempted to defy a crowd ban but were tear-gassed by police, who were determined not to let them in.
A crowd ban in domestic games has been in place since the army ousted Islamist President Mohamed Morsi last July but a limited number of supporters were allowed to attend Champions League matches.
However, the fan trouble which followed Ahly's 3-2 African Super Cup win over Tunisia's Sfaxien last month prompted Egyptian authorities to reverse that decision.
Zamalek laid siege to Kabuscorp's area from the very beginning but struggled to carve out any goal-scoring opportunities, which were few and far between.
They came closest to scoring after six minutes when winger Hazem Emam flashed a shot narrowly wide from a tight angle after making a bursting run to the area.
Lone striker Ahmed Gaafar was shackled by Kabuscorp's defence and attacking midfielders Mohamed Ibrahim, Omar Gaber and Emam repeatedly gave away possession in the final third.
Zamalek were forced to make an unscripted first-half substitution after defender Salah Soliman picked up an injury, making way for youngster Yasser Ibrahim but the hosts were hardly affected as Kabuscorp struggled to get out of their own half.
The White Knights relatively improved after the break, breaking the deadlock in the 56th minute when Fathallah was found unmarked by Ibrahim's corner to send a powerful header into the net.
Emam could have doubled their lead with 16 minutes remaining when he broke clear on the right hand side of the penalty area but his angled shot went wide.
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