CAIRO: Zamalek still have a mathematical chance of winning the Egyptian Premier League but coach Hossam Hassan does not seem too bothered by that prospect. The Cairo side claimed their 10th win in the last 11 games after defeating in-form Military Production 2-0 at Cairo Stadium on Wednesday. They created numerous goal-scoring opportunities to underline their attacking abilities while keeping a clean sheet for the fourth consecutive match. Zamalek were one of the relegation-threatened teams early in the season after a disastrous start under Swiss coach Michel Decastel and a poor run under his successor Henri Michel of France. They now have sky-high hopes after Egypt s all-time leading scorer Hassan turned around their fortunes in superb fashion. The White Knights suffered one defeat in 13 matches, drew twice and won 10 games under his guidance to climb up to second. Three points separate them from leaders and arch-rivals Ahly, who have two games in hand. My target is to win every game without taking anything else into consideration, Hassan told Nile Sports after the match. I m taking it one game at a time, when I win any game I immediately start to think about the following one. We are working very hard to improve our league position. Lack of cutting edge could have cost Zamalek a win against Production, Hassan believes. The team are still struggling in front of goal after strike duo Mido and Amr Zaki joined English sides West Ham and Hull City respectively in the January transfer window. Ahmed Gaafar, Hassan s preferred choice up front, appeared to be the reliable man to make up for the departure of Mido and Zaki after scoring seven goals in as many games. However, his form faded in the past three games to reignite worries over Zamalek s inability to convert the majority of chances they create every game. I was very worried after we squandered many goal-scoring opportunities, Hassan added. Football usually punishes the team which does not make the most of the chances they have but thankfully, we avoided that tonight. We are still in the rebuilding process. I believe that the best is yet to come.
