CAIRO - Zamalek's technical coach Hassan Shehata said that he had total confidence in his players to achieve a positive result in their first-leg match against Moghreb Fez in round 16 of the African Champions League (ACL) in Morocco Saturday at 7pm (Cairo Local Time). "We will play against Moghreb Fez and concentrate on winning. This will help us in the second-leg game in Cairo," Egypt's official Middle East News Agency (MENA) quoted Shehata as saying in Rabat. "Maghreb de Fes is a strong team that plays well at home. They are technically and physically ready, because they play regularly in the Premier League. Therefore, it's going to be a difficult game," added Shehata, stressing that the Zamalek players had the great desire to achieve a good result in Morocco. Shehata stated that the White Knights did not intend to play for a draw, because this would be quite dangerous. Zamalek, the five-time African champions, qualified for round 16 of the ACL after defeating Africa Sports in round 32. The White Knights lost 2-1 to Africa Sports of Côte d'Ivoire in the second-leg game in Abidjan but qualified on the away-goal rule. A late penalty goal by striker Amr Zaki saved the day for the White Knights. In the first leg Zamalek beat Africa Sports 1-0 behind closed doors in the Military Stadium, thanks to a goal by Benin striker Razak Omotoyossi. "Zamalek is a big team and always seeks victory, whether playing at home or elsewhere. Any team that wants to win must be able to do so away from its home turf," the veteran tactician pointed out. Shehata explained that the coaching staff studied the opponent well. "We saw many Maghreb de Fes games during the ACL tournament and their latest Moroccan Premier League matches. Now we can put the finger on their strong and weak points," the 62-year-old coach said. He stressed that the White Knights' main target was to continue on the road towards the tournament's final game. Zamalek enters the game without several key players; without suspended captain and goalkeeper Abdul-Wahed el-Sayyed and dangerous striker Razak Omotoyossi of Benin, while striker Ahmed Hossam 'Mido' is suspended due to his absence from training. Omotoyossi was handed a four-match ban by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), after being involved in an angry exchange with the referee during the Africa Sports of Côte d'Ivoire game. Zamalek's general coach Ismail Youssef urged his players to concentrate hard when they prepared for the ACL round 16 clash with Maghreb de Fes. "The coaching staff headed by Hassan Shehata told the players to focus on the first-leg game, so they would make the second-leg game trouble-free at home," said Youssef. He stressed that his team would do the utmost to settle the matter in Rabat. "We are ready, and only our well-prepared players will participate in the game," Youssef said and explained that Salah Soliman and Omar Gaber were ready. "We obviously want to win and I am confident that the team can do it," he added. Egyptian teams faced Moroccan teams 22 times in the African tournaments. Egypt won nine times (seven on home turf, two abroad), while they lost five times (two at home, three abroad), and they drew eight times (six at home, two abroad). "We feel reassured about several players, who recently recovered from their injuries; notably Islam Awad, Salah Soliman and Omar Gaber," Youssef explained. "The coaches have prepared alternatives for the absentees, especially Mido, Abdel Wahed el-Sayyed and Omotoyossi," Youssef continued, explaining that striker Amr Zaki was ready for the African match. Maghreb de Fes Coach Rachid Taoussi said that the game against Zamalek would be tough, he actually called it an 'early finale'. "This is one of those games that happen very rarely to coaches and players. But we see it as a good chance to prove ourselves," Taoussi said, stressing that neither team wanted a draw. "We will play with team spirit to achieve what we are planning for," he said, pointing out that his side was keen to get into the next tournament round. Taoussi added that they wanted to win at home before playing against the Cairo giant on May 13 in Egypt.
