Zamalek failed to claim the last Champions League qualifying spot after suffering a 3-1 home defeat to Petrojet in the season finale, a record ninth loss for the Cairo giants. The hosts went to the lockers room one-up, thanks to a Shikabala strike. However, Zamalek couldn't hold onto their narrow lead. A second-half brace from Ivorian midfielder Mohamed Koffi in addition to a Walid Soliman goal condemned Zamalek to an embarrassing defeat. Zamalek never tasted nine defeats in just on term. They lost eight matches in the 1974/1975 and 2004/2005 seasons. Despite finishing level with Ismaili on 53 points, the latter claimed the runners-up spot, which brings with it Champions League qualification, due to their superior goal difference. The men in white will probably play in the CAF Confederation Cup next season should they fail to win the Champions League title. Zamalek have a chance to avoid ending a fourth successive season empty-handed when they meet ENPPI in the Egyptian Cup final on Sunday. Zamalek Stunned Magdi Attwa almost put Zamalek in front after eight minutes when Amr Zaki's low cross evaded the keeper and went into his path. His goal-bound shot was cleared off the line by Petrojet defender Mohamed Ramadan.
Shikabala made amends for the wasted opportunity after opening the scoring in the 18th minute. The talented winger ghosted behind Petrojet defenders to latch onto a long ball from Zamalek keeper Mohamed Abdul-Monsef. He rounded Petrojet guardian Ahmed Fawzi before slotting home into an empty net. Despite their first-half domination, some catastrophic defending from Zamalek men in the second period cost them dearly. Walid Soliman drew the visitors level four minutes after restart with a powerful left-footed shot that went into the corner of the net. Koffi put Petrojet ahead just two minutes later when he caught Karim Zekri napping to rise unmarked and head home a left-wing cross. He compounded Zamalek misery in the 59th minute when he went one-on-one with Abdul-Monsef after racing onto a deft pass. Koffi's initial shot was blocked by Abdul-Monsef, but the Egypt stand-in guardian could do nothing to stop the Ivorian's follow-up. Several Zamalek players had a heated exchange with the fans, who made their anger clear towards the underachieving team. Zamalek finished with ten men on the field after Ahmed Ghanem picked up a second booking for diving.
