Young Africans team
Egyptian giants Zamalek FC are set to come to Tanzania with a contingent of 27 people ready for their first round first leg match of the CAF Champions League against Young Africans later next month.
Zamalek spokesperson reportedly told SuperSport that the club is ready for her trip to Tanzania and that they have been issued 27 Visas for the first clash with Yanga scheduled for February 18 in Dar es Salaam.
To make sure that they regain their dominance in the continent, Zamalek have recruited top quality stars to strengthen their squad ahead of the forthcoming Champions League campaign. The list includes top quality partner strikers Ahmed Hossam “Mido” and Amr Zaki, who previously featured for different Premier League clubs in England, as well as EIslam Awad, Nour Elsaid and Alexis Enam.
And, the five times African Champions are expected to use the quintet to fire on all cylinders when they confront Yanga, who are their first hurdle in their quest to snatch their sixth continental silverware.
Other players who are likely to make up the squad include Abdul-Wahed Al-Sayed, Mahmoud Abdul-Rahim “Jnc”, Mahmoud Fathallah, Hany Said, Salah Suleiman, Karim Hassan, Mohamed Abdel Shafi, Sabry, Ahmed Samir, Omar Jaber, Hazem Imam, Ibrahim Salah, Merghany Ahmad, Ahmad Tawfiq, Ahmed Hassan, Alaa Ali, Mohammed Saeed “snapshot”, Shikabala, Ahmed Jaffar, Hamdy Hussein, Ahmed Abdel-Kader, Mohammed Ibrahim and Hossam Arafat.
Zamalek won the last of their five Champions League titles in 2002. They have struggled since then, with arch-rivals and Cairo foes Al-Ahly surpassing them to take their sixth Champions League title in 2008. The match at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam will be officiated by Ethiopian referee Bamlack Tessema, who will be assisted by Yilma Knife and Mussie Kindie.
Tanzanian Waziri Sheha, will be the fourth official while Malawian Charles Kafatia, will be the match commissioner. Meanwhile, Zamalek management has dismissed concerns that head coach Hassan Shehata might leave after the surprise ENPPI defeat broke their 8-match victory run. Zamalek Vice-President Raaouf Gaser insists that the club board is fully committed to Shehata, denying any possibility that the coach will leave his post after the 2-1 loss to ENNPI on Friday night.
The three precious-point loss had the Zamalek fans venting their anger on their veteran coach, Shehata, who indicated with his hands that he will leave. “Shehata’s gesture was out of momentary anger after seeing the opponents scoring two goals,” Gasser was quoted as saying by the club’s official website. “I am confident that Shehata will not leave us in this critical period of the domestic league, as the team is expecting crucial games on their way to the tournament’s title.
“The board has full confidence in the technical staff and players, and our fans must support them to resume our successful campaign,” concluded Gasser. While Zamalek suffered a shock defeat in domestic league, Yanga registered an emphatic 3-1 over JKT Ruvu on Saturday. The win not only revived Yanga’s hopes of retaining their Premier League title but also boosted their confidence in the lead up to the Zamalek clash.
Source Tanzania Daily News
