Zamalek coach: “Stellenbosch did not pose any real danger except for that one opportunity”

Zamalek coach José Peseiro expressed his disappointment after his team’s 0-1 home defeat to South Africa’s Stellenbosch in the second leg of the CAF Confederation Cup quarterfinals. The result sees Zamalek eliminated from the tournament, having drawn 0-0 in the first leg away from home.

In the post-match press conference, Peseiro said:

“Stellenbosch created only one chance in today’s game and managed to score from it, while we had several chances that we couldn’t convert. This happens in football. The opponent defended throughout the match. They are good at set-pieces but did not pose any real danger except for that one opportunity.”

“Of course, I’m sad and all the players are sad as well. The team did not deserve this result. We were the better side in the first half, but we lacked the finishing touch and didn’t capitalize on the chances we had. Our performance changed in the second half. We lost balance after Stellenbosch scored and this is football.”

Regarding the absence of Zamalek winger Ahmed Mostafa “Zizo,” Peseiro said:

“Zizo did not play, and everyone knows what happened with him. I want to talk only about the match.”

The former Nigeria national team manager also explained:

“Over the past days, we trained using the 4-3-3 formation, which I believed was the most suitable system for this match. We didn’t deserve to lose today but we failed to make use of the opportunities we created. The change in formation was the reason for not starting Salah Mossadek. As for Mahmoud Bentayg, he didn’t start because he missed the first leg due to not traveling with the squad. Ahmed Fatouh started today because he performed well in the first leg.”

He continued:

“It’s natural for the fans to feel sad because they love winning — but this is football. We must look ahead with wisdom.”

“I don’t blame any player for Stellenbosch’s goal. Everyone gave their best, and I don’t think there was any negligence. Of course, the goal could have been handled better, but again, this is football. No one was expecting Stellenbosch to score today, especially with how we controlled the game.”

Peseiro concluded by saying:

“Zamalek will keep fighting in the league and we aim to win our next match.”