Zamalek's technical coach Hassan Shehata said that either they or Moroccan side Moghreb Fez could still qualify for the quarterfinals of the African Champions League (ACL), in spite of his team's beating Moghreb Fez away from home in the first leg in the round 16 of the tournament on Saturday. "The Zamalek win does not mean that we automatically qualify for the ACL group stage," Shehata said after the game, in expressing his satisfaction over his side's win in Rabat. The White Knights defeated Moghreb Fez 2-0, thanks to goals from Ahmed Hassan and Ahmed Gaafar. Zamalek need to win or draw the second leg in Cairo on May 13th, or even lose by only one goal, in order to qualify directly for the ACL quarterfinals. "Moghreb Fez are a strong team who play well at home. They are technically and physically ready, because they play regularly in their Premier League. That made the first leg difficult," explained Shehata, stressing that Zamalek won because the lads were very determined. 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 had beaten Africa Sports 1-0 behind closed doors in the Military Stadium, thanks to a goal from the dangerous Benin striker Razak Omotoyossi. "Zamalek are a big team and always want to win, whether playing at home or away. Any team who want to win must be able to do so away from their home turf," the veteran tactician said before the game. The White Knights enter the game without several key players: suspended captain and goalkeeper Abdel-Wahed el-Sayyed; Omotoyossi; and striker Ahmed Hossam 'Mido', also suspended for missing training without permission. Omotoyossi was handed a four-match ban by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), after getting involved in an angry exchange with the referee during the Africa Sports of Côte d'Ivoire game. Shehata added that the stoppage of the Egyptian football and the cancellation of the Premier League have no doubt had a negative impact on the team. "Although the preparation offered by friendlies isn't as good as that of official games, they are the only chance for preparing for the ACL games," the 62-year-old coach said. He pointed out that the coaching staff want to play some more friendly games to boost the performance and fitness of the players. “We have been studying Moghreb Fez's games in the ACL and their recent Moroccan Premier League matches, and we've put our finger on their strong and weak points," he said. Shehata thanked his players for their performance and spirit during the match in Morocco.
