One after the other
Zamalek continued their dominance of Arab clubs. Inas Mazhar looks at the latest casualty
In less than a week, Zamalek clinched their second Arab title, beating Ittihad of Saudi Arabia on penalties to win the Hosni Mubarak Cup.
In Cairo Stadium on Friday, team captain Hazem Emam lifted the cup, named after Egypt's president. Five days earlier, in a similar scene, Emam hoisted the Arab Clubs Championship Cup after Zamalek edged the Kuwaiti club Kuwait 2-1 in the final.
In the Hosni Mubarak Cup, following 120 minutes of scoreless football, Zamalek won the subsequent penalty shootout 2-1, thanks mainly to the efforts of their goalkeeper Abdel-Wahad El-Sayed who blocked three attempts.
The victory gave Zamalek LE750,000 in prize money, while Ittihad came away with LE250,000.
The two championships brought Zamalek's collective titles to five in one season, a feat unparalleled for an Egyptian football squad. In addition to last week's crowns, Zamalek took the African super cup, the national league championship and the FA super cup.
The Hosni Mubarak Cup had eluded Egyptian clubs Ahli twice and Ismaili once since its debut three years ago.
Another endeavour between the two countries, the King Fahd Cup, played in Saudi Arabia annually, pits the countries' cup winners. Last month, Ahli of Jeddah landed that trophy after beating Ismaili 1-0 in overtime.
Zamalek's head coach, Vingada of Portugal, has now notched two major titles for his new team even though he was appointed just last month.
