Veteran winger Mahmoud 'Shikabala' Abdel-Razek has extended his deal with Zamalek for two years, the Cairo giants announced on Wednesday. The club said in a brief statement that Shikabala, whose previous deal was due to expire at the end of the season, did not set any conditions to prolong his stay at his boyhood club. Although the 34-year-old has played a bit-part role since his return to Zamalek from Greek side Apollon Smyrni in the summer of 2019, he has proven decisive on several occasions last season. He scored a superb solo goal in Zamalek's bitter 2-1 defeat by arch rivals Ahly in the African Champions League final last month and netted a sublime free kick in another loss to Talae El-Geish in the Egypt Cup semi-final a few days later. Shikabala, whose trickery and nifty footwork made him a fan darling, came through Zamalek's youth ranks in 2002. He has often been criticised by pundits for failing to live up to his potential, thanks to a series of disciplinary problems that marred his career. He had a brief spell with Greek side PAOK and also played for Portugal's Sporting, UAE club Al-Wasl and Saudi Arabia's Al-Raed. Zamalek, who are struggling to keep hold of their prized assets due to financial difficulties, are striving to extend the deals of other key players, including Tunisian midfielder Ferjani Sassi, whose current contract expires at the end of the season. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
