Cairo (AFP)
Zamalek suffered a sudden loss to its host Smouha 0-1 in the twenty-first stage of the Egyptian Football League at Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria, in the last “rehearsal” before competing in the African Confederation Cup final.
With its fifth defeat of the season, Zamalek prepared poorly to face Morocco’s RS Berkane, which will host the first leg of the African Confederation Cup final on May 12, before the two teams meet in Cairo in the return leg on May 19.
Nigerian Abu Bakr Al-Yadi (53) scored the only goal of the match, as the Alexandria team took revenge for its 1-5 loss in the first leg in Cairo.
The loss caused concern in the ranks of Zamalek, a week before the first leg of the African Confederation Cup.
The two teams did not provide much in the first half, as the real danger was absent from the two goals, ending in a negative performance and result.
At the beginning of the second half, and in an organized attack, Abu Bakr Al-Yadi exchanged the ball with Hossam Hassan before shooting a ground ball from inside the penalty area into Mohamed Awad’s net.
Zamalek’s Portuguese coach, Jose Gomez, made three changes at once, bringing in Ahmed Sayed Zizo, Ahmed Fattouh, and Ahmed Hamdy in an attempt to equalize.
In the 67th minute, the referee awarded a penalty kick in favor of Ahmed Hamdi, before the video technology returned to cancel the decision.
Seven minutes before the end of the match, Smouha player Hossam Hassan received a second warning and left the field with a red card, leaving his team to complete the match with ten players, but Zamalek did not take advantage of the numerical superiority and the match ended with Smouha’s victory.
Smouha raised its score to 31 points in sixth place from 20 matches, while Zamalek’s score froze at 24 points in twelfth place but from 15 matches.
In another match, Enppi defeated Al-Ahly Bank 4-1 at Cairo International Stadium.
Enppi raised its score to 32 points in fourth place, while the National Bank remained in fifteenth place with 18 points.
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