Zamalek boss Hossam Hassan sounded satisfaction over the White Knights' performance at Ismaili, although they failed to register their ninth successive win. The Cairo giants played out a tame goalless draw with the Dervishes on Monday, to miss out on a chance to close the gap on the Egyptian Premier League leaders Ahli. But Hassan, who helped Zamalek get back to winning ways after an abysmal start to the season, was not upset by the unexpected stalemate. "Our performance was as good as the previous eight games," the former Egypt skipper told the post-match press conference. "The only difference is that we didn't score. "I'm proud of my players today. They produced a praiseworthy display." When asked why none of his men could break the deadlock, Hassan said: "Some players were off-form. It's no big deal, this is normal in football. "We played so many games over the last few weeks. This kind of pressure would eventually take a toll on any team." Race Still Alive Hassan believes that Zamalek are still in contention for the league title, although they are nine points adrift of leaders and arch-rivals Ahli. "The race is still alive. We have a chance to be crowned champions," he added. Zamalek suffered a terrible form and a string of poor results under Swiss tactician Michel Decastal and Frenchman Henri Michel early this season. However, they have shown a great deal of consistency since Hassan took the helm late in November, after both of his predecessors were sacked. The 11-time Egyptian champions were languishing in 10th spot near the relegation zone by the time Hassan was appointed as tactician. Now Zamalek lie third on 37 points, while Ismaili are fourth with as many points.
