CAIRO: Zamalek s 2-1 Egyptian Premier League defeat to Petrojet will not have any effects on the team s title chances, assistant coach Abdel-Halim Ali said. The White Knights failed to make it two wins out of two after Petrojet stunned them in Cairo on Thursday. Their fans, who had sky-high hopes after the club bolstered their squad with some high-profile signings, showed their anger by throwing bottles onto the pitch following the final whistle. No big deal, a defeat is not a disaster, Zamalek s all-time top scorer Ali, who retired from professional football in the summer, said after the game. We shouldn t criticize the players because no team can win all matches. There are some mistakes which we will try to avoid in the upcoming period. Zamalek took the lead after 33 seconds via a goal from playmaker Mahmoud "Shikabala Abdel-Razeq but failed to keep their lead intact. Egypt striker Al-Sayed Hamdi leveled the score in the second half before a late header by substitute Walid Soliman gave Petrojet all three points. Ahmed "Mido Hossam, who joined Zamalek from English side Middlesbrough on a season-long loan, came on as a second-half substitute but wasted a penalty that could have restored the Cairo giants advantage. Mido is not responsible for the defeat. The team, as a whole, is responsible, Ali added.
