Amr Obaid (Cairo)
The Egyptian Zamalek is about to leave the group stage of the African Champions League, after suffering a second defeat in the fourth group, as the “White Knight” collected only two points from two draws, and is waiting for a “miracle” to escape early exclusion.
Zamalek lost for the second time in a row against Moroccan Wydad, and the defeat came at home, to fall “back and forth” for the sixth time in its history in that tournament, where the “White Knight” drank that “African bitterness” for the first time at the hands of his compatriot Al-Ahly 17 years ago.
Zamalek’s position worsened sharply in Group D, and his exit may be officially announced tonight if Petro Atlético de Angola beat his compatriot Sagrada, to repeat the “White Castle” team with the sad scenario in which he ended his participation in the last edition of the African Champions League.
Wydad’s “sixth” team became in a rare list, the members of which succeeded in defeating Zamalek “back and forth” in the Champions League, during 25 participation in it, and “Al-Abyad” did not know this matter in the old era until its rival Al-Ahly opened that list in the 2005 version. And the first fall “Raih Gay” did not happen in the group league at the time, but Zamalek knew it in the semi-final 17 years ago, when it lost in the first leg against Al-Ahly 1-2, before the “Red Genie” repeated its victory in the second leg by 2-0, and Mohamed Barakat was the hero. The first for this “novel” with 3 goals.
It is strange that the current situation of the “white” team is relatively better than what happened in the 2012 championship, which witnessed its loss 4 times in a row, at the beginning of the group stage, to end its hopes early, especially after the defeat in Congo 0-2 at the hands of Mazembe, before repeating the loss in Cairo 1-2, and only two years later, it was the turn of the Congolese Vita Club, to win the opening of the group stage 2-1 over Zamalek, before repeating his victory with a single goal in Alexandria this time. In the “2014 edition”.
More surprisingly, the matter was repeated in the “2016 Championship”, despite the “White Knight” reaching the final at the time, but he did not succeed in seizing the title from Sun Downs, who was able to drop it twice before that in the group stage, by winning first in Cairo 2-1, then 1 -0 in South Africa.
The fifth time came in last year’s edition, and bore an “Arab signature”, after the Tunisian Esperance defeated the Egyptian champion, in the third round with a score of 3-1, and then 1-0 in the home of Zamalek in the fourth round, which is what happened this time also in “Picture”. Carbon is surprising.
As usual, the digital harvest carried “strange paradoxes”, as Zamalek in the 6 times did not score more than one goal against the team that beat it back and forth, but rather conceded 4 goals in its net 4 times, while conceding 3 goals in twice.
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