Ittihad defender Ibrahim Saied believes he would have put in one of his finest performances had he been introduced as a substitute in the 4-3 league loss at Zamalek on Thursday. The 31-year-old was about to come off the bench in the second half when both teams were still on level terms. However, Ittihad coach Mohamed Amer backtracked on his decision to send Saied in after Zamalek ace Shikabala hit the winner 15 minutes from time. "I'm really sad because I couldn't play against Zamalek," Saied told FilGoal.com. "I usually shine in big games. Featuring against Zamalek would have given me the chance to do my best. "Throughout my career, I plied my trade at (top three clubs) Ahli, Zamalek and Ismaili, and that's why I know how to handle the pressure." The controversial player also downplayed his fitness problems, which were referred to by his boss Amer ahead of the match. "Everybody knows that my fitness don't get affected by my playing time. Even if I stayed home for a whole year," Saied explained. "I was out of action for a season and a half before scoring a goal for Zamalek against ENPPI years ago." Ittihad's losing streak was extended to four matches upon being defeated by the White Knights. "I hope we put an end to our bad results just for the sake of the fans," Saied, who boycotted Ittihad's training a while back for falling out with sacked coach Carols Cabral, concluded.
