Zamalek coach Moatamed Gamal has apologised to the club’s supporters after his side suffered a 2–0 defeat to arch-rivals Al Ahly in Sunday’s Cairo derby, while claiming his team should have been awarded two penalties.
Goals from Mohamed Hany and Algerian forward Monsef Bakrar secured victory for Al Ahly in the Egyptian Premier League’s sixth round, lifting them temporarily to the top of the standings with 16 points. Zamalek dropped to third, three points behind their rivals.
Speaking after the match, Gamal admitted that Zamalek struggled during the first half but insisted his players improved after the interval and created opportunities to equalise.
He said the opening goal came after a deflected effort changed direction, leaving his side at a disadvantage before the break.
Zamalek pushed for an equaliser in the second half but failed to convert their chances before Bakrar struck Al Ahly’s second goal in the 80th minute to seal the result.
Gamal questions refereeing decisions
The Zamalek coach also expressed frustration with the officiating, arguing that his team deserved two penalties during the match.
Zamalek players appealed for spot-kicks following challenges on Angolan winger Chico Banza inside the penalty area, but Slovenian referee Rade Obrenović and the video assistant referee team rejected both appeals. <Cite refs={[“turn993894search0″,”turn993894search9”]}/>
Gamal said injuries and other absences had forced his technical team to alter its approach to the derby.
Striker Oday Dabbagh was reportedly unwell after returning to the squad, while Adam Kaied suffered a shoulder injury during the pre-match warm-up.
The coach also defended his decision to start Ahmed Sherif, explaining that the forward’s pace was intended to trouble Al Ahly’s defence. He said Sherif’s runs had provided an attacking threat during the opening half.
Coach promises to address mistakes
Despite his complaints about the refereeing, Gamal acknowledged that defensive errors had contributed to the defeat.
He said both goals conceded by Zamalek resulted from mistakes that the coaching staff would work to correct in training ahead of their upcoming fixtures.
Gamal ended his post-match remarks by apologising to the supporters, saying he had hoped to make them happy by beating their biggest rivals.
Zamalek must now turn their attention to their next assignment, with the coaching staff seeking to address the shortcomings exposed in the derby and restore momentum to their campaign.
