CAIRO - Zamalek's technical coach Hassan Shehata was delighted by his team's 1-0 victory over Smouha in the fifth week of the Egyptian Premier League, indicating that the White Knights would get even better in the coming period. "The match was really difficult; therefore I want to thank all players for their perseverance and success," Shehata said after the game. The ex-Egypt technical coach added that experience was the main factor that led to the victory. "Smouha's performance surprised us, but our players' skills and experiences were on par and led to victory," he explained. Shehata didn't forget to praise the opponent's coaching staff for the sudden change in less than three days before the match. "Shawqi Gharib gave us a hard time, but we won," he added, explaining that Gharib improved the Smouha team's performance. Zamalek star Shikaballah scored his goal's free kick in the sixth minute of injury time. "We always aim to score goals, even if we have to concede one or two," Shehata stressed, adding that the fitness of the players and the changes made, paved the way to the White Knights' win. "This win will give the team a boost in the coming period," he said, pointing out that he expected Smouha to perform well this season and reach the middle of the League standing under its new coaching staff. Smouha is now on seventeenth place of the general League standing with five points from four games. “We were well-prepared for this crucial match," said Zamalek general coach Ismail Youssef after the game, explaining that Shawqi Gharib, Smouha's new coach, made winning difficult. "On top of that Smouha goalkeeper Ramzi Saleh was really good, which led to a late victory." Youssef said that the players followed the advice of the coaching staff to the letter. "That's why they won.” The result puts Zamalek on second place in the Egyptian League with ten points, with a game in hand against Wadi Degla. The team will resume training today for their clash in the sixth week of the Premier League against Police Union on Tuesday. The ex-Gouna coach explained that Shehata made the players try out different formations in their pre-season training. "Shehata knows how to deal with the players; he gets the best out of them and puts them at their ease. They calmed down in the second half of the game and won," the talented coach pointed out. "The team still needs more time to impress the Zamalek fans and the coaching staff," he said, stressing that every game was a must-win, as the White Knights were a big team and the fans didn't accept it if they made a draw or lost. Zamalek player Ahmed Hassan meanwhile expressed his happiness about the 1-0 victory over Smouha, urging his teammates to keep up the good work until the end of the League. "The players' persistence, determination and high spirit are the main reason for winning in the last minute," Hassan said after the game. The White Knights defender Mahmoud Fathallah also expressed his satisfaction, stressing the importance of the victory. "It is so important for the club and the players," Fathallah said, pointing out that the team was in dire need of the game's three points. Smouha's new coach Shawqi Gharib was happy with his team's performance, promising that it would improve in the coming period. "We are satisfied with the players' performance against Zamalek, but we should also not forget that this was our first appearance with the team," Gharib said after the game. Gharib was Egypt's former general coach under Hassan Shehata, whom he described as a big brother. "Shehata is my elder brother, but now we're working for two different teams, and each one hopes to beat the other," Gharib added. Elsewhere, Al-Ahly grabbed a 3-1 victory over newly-promoted Dakhlia in the fifth week of the Egyptian Premier League on Wednesday night, thanks to the goals by Wael Gomaa, Emad Mete'b and Hossam Ghali, as Dakhlia player Armand grabbed a late goal for the newcomers. The Red Devils' victory makes the team top the league with 11 points from five games, whereas Dakhlia is still without a win with one point from four games. Ivorian striker Konan performed a hat-trick to stun Misr Elmaqasah (MCSD) into a crushing 5-2 victory over Al-Ittihad of Alexandria. Also, El-Mahalla claimed their first point in the League from five games after holding Petrojet to a 2-2 draw. Haras El-Hedoud also defeated El-Geish 1-0. The win pushed El-Hedoud to third place with ten points, while El-Geish reached 11th place with five points.
