CAIRO - Egypt's Zamalek and Haras el-Hodoud have advanced to the Egypt Cup semi-finals after defeating el-Gouna and el-Nasr 3-2, 1-0 respectively in their quarter-final games. Zamalek's general coach was delighted by the result, stressing that it was the fitness of the players and the changes made in the second-half that gave the White Knights the edge. "The game was difficult for us, but the changes made in the second-half swung it," the general coach, Ismail Youssef, said after the game on Sunday night. A header from el-Gouna's Arafa el-Sayyed and a stunning shot from ex-Zamalek midfielder Ashour al-Adham gave el-Gouna a surprise 2-0 lead in the first-half. In the second-half, the White Knights came back strongly through Mahmoud Fathallah and Shikabala, forcing 30 minutes of extra-time, when Mohamed Abdel-Shafei snatched victory for the Whites with a powerful shot. This is the second successive victory for the White Knights under the new coach Hassan Shehata. The White Knights had overwhelmed Wadi Degla 4-1 in their Egypt Cup round of 16 tie, thanks to goals from Egypt's skipper Ahmed Hassan and striker Ahmed Gaafar, who scored a brace each. Zamalek will face Haras el-Hodoud in October 1 in the semi-finals. "Gouna's first goal was surprising and the players were in a hurry to equalise. This made us concentrate, even more so when they scored a second goal," Youssef said, adding that Shehata told the players during the half-time break to be calm and victory would come, and this happened. "The changes made in the second-half were fruitful, allowing us to dominate the game and win," Youssef added, denying that el-Gouna are ‘a small team'. "They really played a good game, but our players' experience was the key for victory.” The coaching staff and fans are now desperate to beat Haras el-Hodoud, who beat el-Nasr 1-0, in order to reach the Egypt Cup final. Zamalek's chances of lifting the trophy after a three-year title drought are looking good, as Al-Ahly were knocked out by Enppi in the round of 16. "Cup games always witness surprises and the coaching staff have warned the players to beware of this," he explained, thanking the Zamalek fans and urging them to have confidence in their players and support them in the forthcoming games. "This victory was good for us at the beginning of the season with our new players and coaching staff. This is our second game with the team," explained Youssef, stressing that Zamalek goalkeeper Abdel-Wahed el-Sayyed can't be blamed for Gouna's two goals. The ex-Gouna coach said Shehata's second-half substitutions and the fitness of the players made all the difference. Zamalek star Hazem Emam was delighted with the result. "Hassan Shehata made the players try out different formations in the pre-season training. He knows how to deal with the players, as he gets the best out of them and puts them at their ease; they calmed down in the second-half and we won," Emam pointed out. Shehata was equally delighted, 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 reporters after the game, stressing that every game the team play is a must-win one, as the White Knights are a big team and the fans don't accept it if we draw or lose. Meanwhile, el-Gouna general coach Amin Orabi said that his players did their best and can't be blamed. "Sure, they did their best, but the Zamalek players were fitter,” he added. Orabi explained that it's still early in the new season. "The team played 120 minutes a few days ago to beat Assiut Petroleum on penalties. They are tired.”
