CAIRO - Zamalek's general coach was delighted when his team qualified for the next round of Egypt's Cup Tuesday night, stressing that the fitness of the players and the changes made in the second-half were what gave the White Knights the edge. "Shehata's second-half substitutions and the flexibility and the fitness of the players made all the difference," the general coach, Ismail Youssef, said after the game. Zamalek started the game using the 3-5-2 formation, then switched in the second half to 4-3-2-1. "This victory was good for us at the beginning of the season with our new players and coaching staff. This is our first game with the team," Youssef explained, thanking the Zamalek fans and urging them to have confidence in their players and support them in the forthcoming games. The ex-Gouna coach said that the coaching staff weren't expecting such a big victory against Wadi Degla, but the circumstances were in their favour. The White Knights overwhelmed Wadi Degla 4-1 in Egyptian Cup round of 16 tie, thanks to goals from Egypt's skipper Ahmed Hassan and striker Ahmed Gaafar. "Hassan Shehata made the players try out different formations in the pre-season training,” Youssef added. Egypt's skipper and Zamalek new face Ahmed Hassan, 37, was also delighted with this strong start with his new team under Egypt's ex-coach Shehata. "My performance was a sharp reply to those who've been criticising me. A winning debut for new boss Shehata means that the Whites are through to the Cup quarter-finals," Hassan told Modern Sports satellite TV channel after the game. Hassan hopes that this strong start will be a push for him and his team towards winning the Cup. "Before the game I was hoping for the best, but I wasn't expecting to score two goals," Hassan explained. He added that the near future will witness the comeback of many talented players such as Sabri Raheil, Mohamed Ibrahim and Ahmed Hossam ‘Mido', who will definitely add to the team. Shehata also expressed his satisfaction at his team's performance in the second half of their Egypt's Cup tie against Wadi Degla, promising that the team will improve in the near future. "The team still need more time to impress the Zamalek fans and the coaching staff," Shehata told Modern Koora satellite TV channel. "The road is still long and we need time and patience to lift some titles.” Meanwhile, Ismaili's new coach Hossam Hassan was just as thrilled when his new team Ismaili thrashed Second Division Beni Sueif 4-0 in the same round. Elsewhere, Harras el-Hodoud edged past Smouha 1-0 victory, while Police Union left it till extra time to defeat Petrojet 2-1.
