They have been rated as underdogs once again, but Zamalek will be desperate to snatch a morale-boosting victory over arch-rivals Ahli in the Cairo derby on Friday. Ahli are enjoying a comfortable lead at the top of the Egyptian League standings while Zamalek are languishing in fifth place. However, the men in white do not have in mind league statistics. They only aim to overcome Ahli to approach the crucial Egyptian Cup semi-final in the best possible way. Zamalek have been trophy-less since winning the Egyptian League title in the 2003/2004 season. They entertain Harras Al-Hodoud in the cup semi-final on Tuesday, four days following the Cairo derby. That's why a win against Ahli will be very useful. "I hope our fans will flood the Military Academy stadium to support us," Zamalek assistant coach Mohamed Helmi said. Zamalek fans were frustrated by their side's disappointing results this season but they stuck by their beloved team. Tunisian defender Wissem El-Abdi, who won't take part due to knee ligament injury, called on Zamalek supporters to be patient.
Jose: confident "I believe we have the best players in Egypt, we just need confidence. If we win a trophy this season we will be back on track," he said. Zamalek will miss defenders Amr Al-Safti and Ahmed Ghanem due to suspension as well as Striker Abdul-Halim Ali, who suffers an injury. Ahli's Confidence On the other hand, Ahli are approaching the Cairo derby full of confidence. The Red Devils are flying high on the top of the league and are yet to taste defeat. "In terms of standings, the match won't have any meaning," Ahli coach Manuel Jose said. "If my team wins, we will be satisfied with adding three points to our tally but if Zamalek win, they will hold long-lasting celebrations until the season's end." Ahli, who are close to claiming a fourth successive league title, will have to do without injured playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika. Stand-in keeper Amir Abdul-Hamid will remain between the sticks after Ahli inflicted a three-week ban on Essam Al-Hadari for trying to illegitimately move to Swiss side Sion.
