Keeper Under Fire? Zamalek Boss Defends His Goalkeeper After Late Equalizer

Match Recap

Ahmed Abdel-Raouf, Zamalek's head coach, praised his players for their performance against Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa in the 1-1 draw in the second group-stage match of the CAF Confederation Cup.

Zamalek had taken the lead through Seif El-Din El-Jaziri in the third minute, only for the South African side to level in the 90+5th minute after a miscue by goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhi allowed the ball to spill into the net.

In the post-match press conference, Abdel-Raouf said: "I thank the players for what they produced; we played a great match against a club with a big name like Kaizer Chiefs".

Coach's Assessment and Opportunities

He also downplayed the visitors’ threat, noting that Zamalek dominated the first half and that Chiefs had only one real chance in the second, while "we created several chances across both halves and could have sealed the win earlier".

Abdel-Raouf accepted personal responsibility for the late equalizer, saying: "Conceding a goal from a late mistake is my personal responsibility; it saddens us that we dropped two points in the final minute. Zamalek is a big club that competes for all trophies." Sobhi was praised as a great goalkeeper.

Standings and Next Steps

The coach closed by stressing that the draw provides a precious point and that focus will be on contending for the group’s top spot.

He added: "We earned a draw, and we will prepare for the upcoming games to push for the group lead. I refuse to comment on the refereeing today".

With this result, Zamalek moved to four points from two matches and sit second in Group D, behind Masry, who had their second straight win, including a 3-2 triumph over Isko Zambian after opening with a 2-1 victory over Chiefs.