Ismailia-Yasser Al-Sherif: Zamalek manager Manuel Cajuda admitted that luck was on his team's side in their 2-1 away win over Ismaili in the Egyptian league on Tuesday. "Lady Luck abandoned the home team and stood by us," Cajuda told reporters after the game at Ismailia Stadium. "It was a tough game because Ismaili fielded young players who were eager to prove themselves at any cost," he said. Despite Ismaili taking the lead through an Abdullah Saied header and dominating possession, goals from Abdul-Halim Ali and Mostafa Gaafar favored Zamalek. "I'm always looking to win, which I believe is apparent since my arrival at Zamalek," said the Portuguese coach. "I'm really happy my team didn't crumble under the extreme pressure applied by Ismaili players," he added. When asked about his relationship with Hazem Emam and why the Zamalek skipper was not fielded, Cajuda said: "Hazem is Zamalek's best player." "But his recurring injuries make him unable to practice with his teammates and forces me to sideline him," Cajuda added.
Theo Buecker Ismaili coach Theo Buecker was happy with his team's performance, noting that Zamalek's experience was the determining factor in the game. "I arrived at Ismaili and the team was in a dismal situation and close to the relegation zone, but now things changed," the German boss said. "We applied pressure on Zamalek and took control of the game, but the inexperience of Ismaili players against the much more seasoned Zamalek players was behind the defeat," he added. The former Zamalek coach was full of praise for 18-year-old Ismaili defender Ahmed Khairi and said that "he has a bright future ahead of him." Buecker was content for the respect that Zamalek's players showed him after the game. "Zamalek's players came up to me after the match and praised me for Ismaili's performance during the game, noting that this was the toughest match they endured all season. Buecker also spoke of Ismaili's anticipated clash against title holders Ahli on April 5th. "It's a tough game, but we'll do our best and give a good performance that will live up to the expectations of Ismaili fans."
