Carteron (Photo: Zamalek's official website)
Zamalek coach Patrice Carteron said that his team didn’t secure the Egyptian Premier League title yet despite Tuesday’s precious 1-0 win over rivals Wadi Degla.
The Whites edged a step closer to their first league crown in six years after beating Degla, giving themselves a four-point buffer between them and second placed challengers Ahly, who have stumbled in their last two games.
“We have not secured the league title yet. We must win all our remaining matches to ensure that we get the trophy,” the French coach told Zamalek’s TV channel after the game.
“We took an important step towards the league title, and the result against Degla is beneficial to us, however, our performance was not the best.”
“We missed several scoring chances, and we allowed our opponent to attack in the final minutes,” he added.
Ahly's bid to win the league for a sixth successive season was dealt a major blow after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Talae El-Geish on Tuesday, diminishing their chances of claiming the league title in their last three matches.
Zamalek have 73 points on the league’s table, with Ahly following closely behind with 69 points. The Red Devils, however, can still win the title if they level their points with Zamalek given their superior head-to-head record.
“Ahly’s draw gives us some leeway for the coming games,” Carteron explained.
The White Knights will secure the title if they win their next two matches against Ceramica Cleopatra and El-Entag El-Harby.
“Zamalek fans should continue to support the team, while we should continue our hard work and not underestimate our opponents so that we can finish our campaign successfully,” the coach concluded.
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