A new coach will be in charge for Zamalek in Monday's anticipated derby against rivals Ahly in the Egyptian Premiere League, club chairman Mortada Mansour announced on Saturday. On Friday, it was reported that caretaker coach Nabil Mahmoud, a former Zamalek defender in the 1990s who was appointed as an assistant to outgoing coach Nebojsa Jovovic last month, will be in charge of the team when they meet their cross-town rivals. "The board is currently meeting with the agent of a respectable coach. Nabil Mahmoud won't be our coach against Ahly," Mansour told Sada El-Balad TV channel. "We will announce the name of the new coach within hours as he will be leading the team in Monday's derby," he added. Zamalek said they are in talks with several candidates to succeed Montenegrin Jovovic, who was sacked on Wednesday following a 1-0 defeat by Talae El-Geish which further dented their hopes of competing for the Egyptian Premier League title. Jovovic's brief tenure lasted just five months and was brought to an end after four losses and as many draws in the first 16 league matches of the season. Enppi's coach Ehab Galal is reportedly a prominent candidate for Zamalek's vacant job. Tunisian coach Faouzi Benzarti, Portuguese tactician Jose Morais and French coach Hubert Velud are also among the candidates. "Yes we contacted Ehab Galal over taking the team's charge," Mansour said Saturday without revealing any details. Zamalek have no choice but to beat Ahly on Monday to keep alive their slim hopes of winning the league title, which has been mainly dominated by their arch rivals over the last decade. The White Knights' last league win over Ahly was back in 2007. They have beaten them twice in successive Egypt Cup finals in 2015 and 2016 though. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
