Zamalek produced yet another frustrating display as they lost 2-1 to Jordan's Al-Faisali in Cairo to crash out of the Arab Champions League on Tuesday. Despite a fierce sandstorm that swept Cairo and almost halted all activities in the capital, some 15,000 supporters backed Zamalek, who entered the game as favorites after grabbing a goalless draw in Jordan. But a stinging shot from international left-back Khaled Saad in the seventh minute put the guests one up before Haider Hussain's opportunist header found its way past goalkeeper Mohamed Abdul-Monsef. The Men in White dominated the second period, with Gamal Hamza coming close twice.
Saad scored a goal and made another But Zamalek couldn't narrow the gap till the 80th minute when Amr Zaki scored from the spot after Ahmed Ghanem was adjudged to be clipped inside the box. Having already lost the Egyptian League and crashed out of the Arab Champions League and Africa's premier club competition, Zamalek have only the Egyptian Cup to play for this season or they will have a third consecutive season without silverware. Faisali will play in the finals with the winners from Ahli Jeddah of Saudi Arabia and Algeria's ES Setif, who will clash on Wednesday. Ahli are one up from the first leg. With the exception of Zaki, Zamalek players left the pitch amid angry chants from their fans, who called on the administration to offload them and sign high-profile stars. For a detailed match report, visit www.acl.tv
