Zamalek coach Motamed Gamal. Photo courtesy of CAF
The Cairo giants suffered a gut-wrenching 1-0 defeat to their hosts in the first leg of the continental final, with a VAR-awarded stoppage-time penalty handing the Algerians a slender advantage ahead of the return leg in Cairo next week.
“We will concentrate on the return match in Cairo with the presence of our fans who will give us motivation to win the title,” Gamal said in the press conference after the game.
“The players did more than I asked. We defended well, but we were not lucky despite creating several chances. We will fight till the last minute to win the tournament,” he added.
The Cairo giants thought they had snatched a late winner, but VAR overturned the decision and instead awarded a penalty to the hosts, which Ahmed Khaldi converted deep into stoppage time.
The final minutes brought further misery for the Cairo side, as defender Mahmoud Bentayg was shown a red card for violent conduct, leaving Zamalek with an even steeper mountain to climb in Cairo.
Gamal blasted the referee for his decisions against Zamalek, including Bentayg’s dismissal, and also the added stoppage time.
“We should not lose, but this is football. I don’t know why Bentayg was shown the red card. If we were not on alert, we could have received another goal, and also, I do not know why the referee added eight minutes of stoppage time,” the Zamalek coach explained.
Gamal finally said that he worked hard over the last two months on the players’ mental state amid limited time for technicalities, hailing the role of the team’s ‘six or seven leaders’ in easing his mission.
Zamalek, who are seeking their third Confederation Cup title, will be hosting USM Alger in the return match next Saturday at Cairo’s International Stadium.
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