Zamalek coach disappointed after losing to Al Ahly: “We strive to be better”

Belgian coach Yannick Ferrera, manager of Zamalek, expressed his deep disappointment following his side’s 2-1 defeat to rivals Al Ahly in the Nile Egyptian League.

Zamalek fell to Al Ahly in Round 9 after squandering a 1-0 lead, as the Red Devils completed a dramatic comeback.

Speaking in the post-match press conference, Ferrera said:
“We had two chances to score in the first 10 minutes, then our opponent got into the match and we succeeded in taking the lead. Unfortunately, we retreated too much after going ahead.”

He continued:
“In the second half, we started pressing later and had a chance to make it 2-0. But after we missed that chance, Al Ahly equalized and then went in front.”

Ferrera added:
“After conceding, in the last 10 minutes we pushed more players forward to score, and we missed a chance when the ball hit the crossbar in the final minutes. We will work on recovering the players well ahead of the next match.”

The Belgian coach went on:
“We were considering making changes before conceding the first goal. The team was playing well, and there was an idea to bring on El Wensh and play with three defenders, but there was no real reason for changes at that time because the performance was good.”

He added:
“Seifeddine Jaziri is performing well, like the other strikers. He could appear in the coming matches, as he is one of the four forwards in the squad. The technical staff decides before every game whether to rely on two or three strikers.”

The Zamalek coach continued:
“When the team drew with El Mokawloon, we bounced back to win two matches. After the defeat to Wadi Degla, we also responded with two wins. We tried to return stronger today against Al Ahly, but luck was not on our side. We aim to come back better in the upcoming matches.”

Ferrera concluded his remarks by saying:
“As for dropping back after scoring the first goal, this has happened before. We always try to score the second goal after going ahead. We need to talk to the players about this matter. We faced a strong opponent with an attacking style. We will prepare seriously for the next match, learn from every game, and strive to be better.”

The result lifts Al Ahly to 15 points, moving them up to third place in the table with a game in hand that could see them leapfrog Zamalek into first. Zamalek, despite the defeat, remain top with 17 points.

Watch full highlights of Al Ahly Vs. Zamalek Derby:

⚽ Follow Pan-Africa Football across platforms for real-time news and stories.