Zamalek coach Jaime Pacheco promised on Monday to win this season’s Egyptian Premier League and the African Champions League titles after the club failed to win any African or local trophies last year.

The 62-year-old Portuguese tactician, who took charge of the Whites for the second time last September, led the team in 17 matches in all competitions until now, winning 14 matches, tying in three, and losing in only two.

The two games Pacheco lost since taking the helm cost the team two important titles. The first loss came in the African Champions League final against Ahly in November, and the second came less than a week later against Talae El-Gaish in the semifinal of the Egypt Cup.

However, during an interview with a local TV channel on Monday, Pacheco exuded confidence in his players, promising to deliver the Champions League title this season.

“This season we will reach the Champions League final and we will win the title; this is our main target; this is what I always tell the players; it is why I’m here - because I want to be the champion,” he said.

“We have to win the league this season, it’s not right to be behind Ahly by 20 points in the league [as was the case last season]. Zamalek has achieved the same number of points Ahly collected since I arrived,” he explained.

Pacheco stressed that although the Reds spent millions to sign new players, especially in the striker and defender positions, while the Whites did not make new deals and settled on returning some of the loaned out players, both teams currently have the same number of points in the Egyptian league competition.

The Reds are currently at the top of league with 20 points, courtesy of a better goal difference over joint leaders Zamalek.

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