CR Belouizdad coach: “We lost first half, but qualification chances still alive” after Zamalek defeat

Hicham Gouzia, CR Belouizdad coach, commented on his team’s 1-0 defeat to Zamalek SC on Friday evening in the CAF Confederation Cup.

The match between CR Belouizdad and Zamalek SC was held at Nelson Mandela Stadium in Algeria, in the first leg of the semi-final of the 2025–2026 season. Zamalek’s winning goal came in the 28th minute by Juan Bezerra.

Speaking to beIN Sports, Gouzia said, according to Yallakora:
“I was recently assigned to lead CR Belouizdad after the coaching crisis. I have been at the club for years, and the Zamalek match was my third game in charge.”

He added:
“We delivered a big and good performance against Zamalek. We had several chances to score, but we were unable to take advantage of them well, and this is football.”

He continued:
“We lost the first half in Algeria, and we still have another half in Cairo.”

Gouzia concluded with optimism:
“The chances of qualifying for the final are still there. We have another match, and we will prepare well for it.”

🎞️ Match Highlights:
Bezerra’s goal secure an away win for Zamalek SC over CR Belouizdad in the #TotalEnergiesCAFCC semifinals! pic.twitter.com/x5SNYuk2OD

— TotalEnergies CAFCL & CAFCC 🏆 (@CAFCLCC) April 10, 2026

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