Egyptian giants Zamalek face an uphill battle to reach the CAF Confederation Cup final after being held to a frustrating 0-0 home draw by Ghana’s Dreams FC in the first leg of their semi-final tie on Sunday.
The goalless stalemate at Petrosport Stadium in Cairo leaves Zamalek with work to do in the return leg in Accra on April 28th if they are to advance to the Confederation Cup final.
Without attacking stars Ahmed Sayed and Ahmed Fatouh, the White Knights produced a lethargic first-half display and barely threatened the Dreams FC goal before the break.
After the goalless draw, Zamalek SC’s Portuguese head coach, Jose Gomes disclosed how his side could not play their normal game.
“We missed speed and playing our way against Dreams,” he said.
“Unfortunately, we were not able to achieve victory and the first half of the semi-final match ended.
“We now need to focus and play the second half well in Ghana.
“Things will be very different in the return match, especially with the grass, humidity and temperature, and even if things are like that, I trust the players.”
The Ghanaian side even came closest to scoring just before halftime, only for Zamalek defender Hamza Mathlouthi to clear the danger.
Coach Gomez made an attacking change for the second period, introducing striker Samson Akinyoola, and his side improved after the restart. Akinyoola went close with a near-post effort that fizzed just wide, while Ibrahima Ndiaye headed narrowly over.
However, clear-cut chances continued to go begging for the home side. Striker Seif Jaziri, who bagged a brace in the recent Cairo derby, somehow headed over from pointblank range on 70 minutes.
As the match entered its dying stages, Zamalek launched an desperate onslaught. Ndiaye saw a header cleared off the line, defender Hossam Abdel-Meguid struck the crossbar, and Jaziri nodded another gilt-edged opportunity off target.
When the final whistle blew, celebrations among the traveling Dreams FC supporters demonstrated the valuable result obtained ahead of the decisive second leg in a week’s time.
Zamalek must now avoid defeat in Ghana to book their place in the Confederation Cup final, where they could potentially face Renaissance Berkane or USM Alger.
