Zamalek boss Jaime Pacheco downplays Al Ahly Caf Champions League triumph amid coronavirus
Zamalek manager Jamie Pacheco has downplayed Al Ahly Caf Champions League title after stating the Reds were lucky in the final.
Both Egyptian sides overcame huge obstacles before reaching the final of this season’s African Champions League final with Zamalek crushing out Raja Casablanca while Ahly eliminated Wydad Athletic Club in semifinals.
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When the two sides meet in final at the Cairo International Stadium, it was Ahly who emerged 2-1 victors of the clash, handing them their ninth Caf Champions League title in history.
In the aftermath of his side’s disappointing exit from the two competitions, Pacheco has lamented Zamalek’s luck and shared his view that this season’s failures were down to the absence of a number of vital personnel at key moments in the campaign.
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“We lost Youssef Obama because of COVID-19 and he is a player who is crucial in offensive and defensive transitions,” Pacheco told Zamalek TV, per KingFut.
“And we missed Egypt’s most important centre-back, Mahmoud Hamdy El-Wensh, as well as Abdallah Gomaa, who has helped us both defensively and going forward. We lost our balance because of their absence.
“No one can say that we were bad in the CAF Champions League final, but maybe Al Ahly were luckier and less tired than us.
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“Because of COVID-19, we lost three starting players in the team. With El-Wensh and Obama, we only conceded five goals, but without them, we conceded the same amount of goals in our last two games.”
The Portuguese International signed for Zamalek in September 2020 and had a milestone achievement in club’s history, guiding them to the finals of African’s Champions League.
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