Zamalek coach Jorvan Vieira chalks up their defeat to Ittihad of Alexandria on Monday to their opponent's tight defence.

Zamalek's perfect Egyptian Premier League run was dealt a major blow by the 2-0 defeat.

Two late second-half goals by in-form Mohamed El-Morsi gave struggling Ittihad – which had faced the spectre of relegation after a string of poor results this season – a morale victory.

The second defeat of the season added to the travails of the Cairo giants, who are currently facing financial woes making the future of coach Vieira uncertain.

"We did our best in a game that is not related to football at all, since our opponents depended mainly on defence with 10 players," the Brazilian coach said after the match.

"I am not justifying the defeat, which didn't dissuade us since we are still leading our group, but they are responsible of spoiling a football match atmosphere.

"Usually we play for 70 minutes every match, but against Ittihad it wasn't more than 60.

"I want to thank my players for their effort this season and assure that the defeat will be beneficial for both the technical staff and players to handle our errors in the future," he concluded.

Despite the defeat, Zamalek – who had already secured their place in the final round of a new two-group league competition – remain atop Group B with 36 points. The Alex-based club, meanwhile, is second-to-last with 13 points – three away from the safety zone, with two matches remaining.

Ittihad coach defends his strategy

Defending himself from Vieira's accusation of spoiling the match, Alexandria's Ittihad coach Ahmed Sary argues that the heavy defence strategy is used all over European football.

"We had a good game, as we managed to stop Zamalek key elements. We were the best in the second half and the players were responsible enough and made the best use of the chances by scoring twice," Sary explained.

"I hope we continue this outstanding performance to ensure our place in the top flight league next season," he added.

Zamalek, who are currently chasing their first league title since 2004, will play in the final mini-league alongside arch-rivals Ahly, who have already booked a place in the final phase.

Ahly currently lie at the top of Group A with 33 points, seven clear of second-placed ENNPI.

The top two teams in Groups A and B will qualify for the final round, where a mini-league with only home fixtures will determine the champion.

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