Relentless effort from twin brothers Hossam and Ibrahim Hassan is what kept Zamalek in contention for the league title over the past months, but consequences of faulty planning and unpleasant circumstances will most probably have the stronger effect on the Cairo side by the end of the season. A boardroom headed by Mamdouh Abbas made several unwise decisions before a court order relieved the well-off businessman and his subordinates of their duties, a verdict that left Zamalek with no financial muscle amid rising debts and no hope of straightening out problems caused by the former club officials. One of the most irrational moves made by the Abbas-led board in the close season and bore bitter fruit nowadays was bringing in Egypt goalie Essam Al-Hadari, although the so-called directors had every reason not to. Facts like he never feels committed to any team, turns 38 in January and was bound to serve a lengthy ban were never taken into consideration. More importantly, there was no room for him in the Whites' squad in the first place. The five-time African champions just needed to land a deputy keeper to play second fiddle to Abdul-Wahed Al-Sayed, a real Zamalek stalwart, after Mohamed Abdul-Monsef had decided to join Gouna. However, the club couldn't miss out on a chance to sign a 'top-notch' guardian! Thanks to that particular 'super' signing, Zamalek could face a goalkeeping dilemma anytime these days. Injury-prone Abdul-Wahed became the only bona fide shot-stopper in the team after Al-Hadari's appeal against the four-month suspension, which FIFA imposed on him last year for violating his contact with Ahli in 2008, was turned down. What's even more frustrating is that the situation is not likely to get any better when Al-Hadari returns to action in February. He made it loud and clear that he would part ways with Zamalek soon, after an argument with goalkeeping coach Emad Al-Mandoh gave him a timely good excuse to oh-so-predictably escape the financial predicament. It wouldn't be reasonable to criticize Al-Hadari for either being money-driven or suspended. As a matter of fact, his current status was widely predicted when Abbas and his men first announced their intention of making overtures towards him. They are definitely to blame for the ongoing goalkeeping issue at Zamalek and this is not the only weak spot they are responsible for.
Unless Hossam is able to maintain consistency with a star-less team or Ibrahim too influential to persuade players into remaining at the club without getting paid, Zamalek will suffer a poor run. Big-spending entrepreneur Abbas and his board of directors utterly failed to shore up Zamalek's squad in the last transfer window. They couldn't seal any big deals and the few summer arrivals barely helped the team overcome their weaknesses in midfield and defense. Despite all the team's inadequacies, the Hassan twins have managed to get Zamalek up and running. Head coach Hossam has kept the team on an even keel so far this term. With his trademark enthusiastic attitude, The Dean has made the most of the players at his disposal and pulled off relatively satisfying results in the Egyptian Premier League. On the other hand, football director Ibrahim played a major role in keeping the likes of Hussein Yasser, Shikabala and Hazem Emam from terminating their contracts with Zamalek this year, either by talking them out of leaving or castigating them through the media. But with the beleaguered outfit sinking deep into the red, both men's jobs will be a lot harder. Zamalek, who pathetically opened a bank account for donations to tackle their deficit, will not be able to fulfill many of their financial obligations towards the senior team. Offering new deals to the footballers whose contracts expire soon, such as Mahmoud Fathallah, is now an uphill task. Some players might even be put up for sale to generate much-needed cash while others will be looking to depart on their own. The 11-time Egyptian champions' squad, which already needs to be bolstered, is expected to be weakened in the near future. And unless Hossam is able to maintain consistency with a star-less team or Ibrahim too influential to persuade players into remaining at the club without getting paid, Zamalek will suffer a poor run.
