Zamlek's coach Ahmed Hossam Mido (Photo: Bassam Al-Zoghby)
Zamalek's young coach Ahmed Hossam 'Mido' has expressed confidence after his side's narrow win against Ittihad El-Shorta Saturday in the last game of the Egyptian Premier League's Group B competitions.
"A good coach should have no fear. And I have no fear," the 31-year-old tactician told the press after securing a place in the Egyptian Premier League mini-league phase.
Thanks to Mido's bold move of substituting defenders with attackers, the Whites needed two late goals from defender Mahmoud Fathallah and youngster Mostafa Fathi to edge out a resilient Ittihad El-Shorta side 4-3.
"I had to be brave and adventurous as a draw loomed and that would have been the same as a defeat for us. We needed to win to make it to the mini-league," he added.
Zamalek now lead Group B, ahead of the petroleum club Petrojet, both of whom have snatched their tickets to the final stage of the extraordinary edition of the domestic competition. Their archrivals Ahly and the Alexandria-based side Smouha are the survivors of group A.
"I thank Allah for the win and appreciate all the players who followed my instruction closely," added Mido, the former forward of Ajax Amesterdam, Marseille, Roma, Tottenham Hotspur and other European teams.
Snapshot from Zamalek's match showing goalkeeper Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed crying
Mido dedicated the win to Zamalek's crowd, while also thanking veteran goalkeeper and the team's skipper Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed via Twitter.
The coach also said that Zamalek "can beat any team now, especially if they are supported by their fans".
The Cairo-based club are bidding for their first title since 2004. They've won 11 Egyptian leagues, second in the record book after Ahly, who've collected 36.
Despite the international freeze on domestic football competitions due to the ongoing World Cup in Brazil, Egypt – which has cancelled two successive leagues midway due to security concerns – was given an exception by FIFA to continue their championship, currently being played behind closed doors.
Read the full Zamalek vs. Ittihad El-Shorta match review here
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Short link: