White Knights to face Algeria’s Belouizdad in semi-finals next month
Egypt’s football giants fell one by one this past week, making it one of the most nightmarish for local football fans.
Al-Ahly and Pyramids were knocked out of the CAF Champions League, and Al-Masry was eliminated from the Confederation Cup. All this, happened within a mere three hours.
After Pyramids FC’s 1-2 defeat to FAR Rabat, Al-Ahly lost 2-3 to ES Tunis, and Al-Masry drew 0-0 with CR Belouizdad of Algeria.
Zamalek, widely known as the White Knights, is now the only team raising the Egyptian flag in continental championships.
The White Knights are officially Egypt’s only hope for a continental trophy this year and they are not stifling the hopes of local football fans. They have already qualified for the CAF Confederation Cup semi-finals.
However, Zamalek’s journey to the semis was full of drama, stress, and a finish that nobody saw coming.
After a 1-1 draw in the first leg against the Congolese team, Otoho, Zamalek came home to Cairo needing a win.
For most of the match, everything went perfectly well, Zamalek played great football and took a solid 2-0 lead with goals from Hossam Abdelmaguid and Oday Dabbagh.
The fans were celebrating, and the semi-finals looked certain.
Then, with only ten minutes left, drama unfolded. Otoho scored a goal out of nowhere, causing the score to become 2-1 (3-2 on aggregate). If Otoho scored one more goal, Zamalek would have been out.
To make things worse, goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhi was sent off with a red card and because Zamalek had used all their substitutions, they could not bring in a backup keeper.
In a move that shocked the stadium, Tunisian striker Seifeddine Jaziri had to put on the gloves and stand in goal.
The final minutes were pure chaos. A striker was defending the net, the fans were screaming, and every second felt like ages.
But the team fought hard and when the whistle finally blew, Zamalek knew that it had survived.
Speaking to the media after the match, ZamalekCoach Moatamed Gamal could not hide his happiness with the win. Nonetheless, he said he was frustrated by how close the White Knights came to losing it all.
“We could have scored three or four goals in the match,” Gamal said.
He blamed his players for toughening their mission.
“We got too comfortable after the second goal, and in football, that is dangerous. I think we would have been knocked out,” he said.
Some players, he added, were distracted because of the Egyptian National Team squad announcement.
“Some players were upset they weren’t picked, but I told them they had to focus on the club first,” Gamalsaid. “We learned a big lesson for the upcoming matches.”
Team Manager Ibrahim Salah said Zamalek studied their opponents well.
“We started in a perfect manner,” Salah told a local television channel. “But we lost our focus at the end.”
He felt grateful that the team managed to finish the game and qualify.
“This is the most important thing,” Salah said.
Zamalek now moves on to the semi-finals where they will face Algeria’s CR Belouizdad next month.
Nevertheless, this will be less about a game and more about Zamalek’s chance to take revenge.
Back in 2023, Belouizdad beat Zamalek and knocked them out of the Champions League. Now, the White Knights have a chance to return the favour.
Belouizdad reached the semi-finals by knocking out Al Masry. This means that they should not be underestimated in any manner.
But Zamalek has shown they can handle pressure,even when their striker has to play as a goalkeeper.
Zamalek’s journey has been impressive so far. They finished top of their group, beating teams like KaizerChiefs and ZESCO United.
They have the talent to win the whole tournament, but the fans are asking one question on social media: Why does the team’s win always have to be so stressful?
Whether it is beautiful football or a last-minute scramble, the White Knights are moving forward.
All of Egypt will be watching the semi-finals, hoping the team can bring the trophy back to Cairo.
