Winning some more
Zamalek extended their winning ways to the Arab Champions League, writes Mohamed El-Sayed
Playing in front of a packed Al-Shazli Zweiten Stadium, Zamalek upstaged CS Sfaxien of Tunisia 3-1 in first-leg action in qualifying rounds in the Arab football Champions League.
The away win was huge for Zamalek who, having qualified for the 16-team stage after beating Sporting of Mauritania twice, got off to an impressive start in Group C of the Arab Champions League. They took the lead against Sfaxien after only three minutes through striker Abdel-Halim Ali who delivered a first-time shot low into the Tunisian net following Tarek El-Sayed's pinpoint left-wing cross.
Ali could and should have stretched his team's lead if he had capitalised on the chance that came his way 10 minutes after his first goal, heading the ball over the bar.
The Tunisians, however, managed to get back on their feet, putting themselves back into the game with a 13th-minute equaliser by Zubair Al-Safi who sent a header over Zamalek's advancing goalkeeper, Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed.
Following the goal, the Tunisians dominated, thanks to the supremacy they enjoyed in midfield, and threatened the Whites' defence more than once.
In the 30th minute, the Saudi referee gave the Tunisians a free kick on the edge of Zamalek's area, resulting in an Egyptian protest. Instantly he was surrounded by both teams' players, and from the pack a red card was produced dismissing Zamalek's striker Sameh Youssef. Zamalek had to continue the game with 10 men for the remaining 60 minutes.
The home side built up pressure hoping to take the lead before the interval but their attempts went begging.
If supremacy in numbers should have been an advantage, it worked the other way round in this game. The visitors had the upper hand throughout most of the second half. But seven minutes after the restart, defender Mohamed Siddiq put Zamalek back ahead, delivering a postcard header into Sfaxien's net for Zamalek's second.
Afterwards, El-Sayed made two fine saves before Zamalek's Portuguese head coach, Vingada, pulled team captain Hazem Imam who was out of form, bringing in the energetic Ahmed Saleh.
In the 26th minute, El-Said sent a left-flank cross that went over the Tunisian defenders and the goalkeeper and reached Mohamed Siddiq who found no problem in jabbing it into the empty net for his second goal and his team's third. As the minutes ticked away, the home side swarmed forward in large numbers in an attempt to narrow the difference, but all in vain thanks to the visitors' inaccessible defensive shield.
"We got confused after Sfaxien's equaliser and Sameh Youssef's dismissal," said Imam. "Nevertheless, we regained the upper hand in the second period," he added. "Defeating Sfaxien on their home turf is a great impetus to us to continue our run to qualify from this tough group."
Vingada expressed his satisfaction. "I'm pleased with our performance in light of the tough circumstances we faced in this encounter; the wet ground and some unfair decisions taken by the referee." He added, "After Youssef's dismissal, I repositioned the players so that they would not feel the absence of a player, and they succeeded in dominating the second period."
Zamalek, who also top the table in the Egyptian league, are scheduled to meet Esperance of Tunisia in Cairo on 11 November for the second match in the round robin group.
Ahli, the other Egyptian squad in the championship, continued their string of dismal performances, drawing 1-1 with lightweights Nasr Hussein-Dey of Algeria in a match that was supposed to be the easiest for Ahli in Group D that includes Ismaili of Egypt and Etoile of Tunisia. Much to the dismay of their increasingly worried fans who have seen their once mighty club fall to eighth place in the local league, Ahli's attempts at reconciliation via the Arab Champions League did not go according to script.
The Reds' Portuguese head coach Tony Oliviera started the game with an unexpected lineup, bringing in Ahmed El-Sayed, Khaled Bibo, Ahmed Salah Hosni and Reda Shehata. All save Bibo have not played on a consistent basis; Bibo has been playing consistently bad.
Still, Ahli pressed from the beginning, sending several crosses from the left that did not have much impact.
In the 14th minute, Ahli came close with Mohamed Emara providing a cross from the left wing for Bibo who collected it towards the Algerian net but an alert goalkeeper punched it away. A few minutes later, another opportunity was missed, this one by Shehata who, only two yards from goal, sent his shot straight into the body of the visiting goalkeeper.
In their only attack in the half, Nasr Hussein-Dey managed to score the opening goal in the 35th minute after Yasser Hamza capitalised on a bevy of mistakes by goalkeeper Essam El-Hadari, Wa'el Gomaa and Emara.
Clearly inspired by their goal and sensing that the Egyptians were far from their best, the Algerians were in a confident mood and tried to increase their advantage before the interval.
After the restart, the Red Devils laid siege to the Algerian goal, trying to score the equaliser and eventually the winner. Ahli's lead-up play improved but the end product remained wretched. They continued to fritter away opportunities that came their way via El-Sayed, Wa'el Riad and Ahmed Bilal.
In the 17th minute, the referee awarded Ahli a dubious penalty kick, believing that Emara's cross was handled by a defender. Despite the visitors' protests, Bilal sent the spot kick confidently in for Ahli's equaliser.
"Our players lost several golden opportunities, especially in the second half," said Oliviera. "We have to put an end to this problem. The only thing left is for me to play myself and score goals on behalf of my players."
Ahli might rue the draw against the Algerians, given that their next fixture will be an away match with their Egyptian foe Ismaili who rarely lose on their home ground.
Etoile of Tunisia are also in the group.
