Zesco coach Ndlovu reveals a problem they will work on after defeat to Zamalek in Confederation Cup

Zesco United head coach Mathews Ndhlovu spoke about his team’s 1–0 loss to Egyptian giants Zamalek in their opening match of the CAF Confederation Cup group stage.

Zamalek secured a narrow victory in the first round of Group D, which also includes Al Masry, Kaizer Chiefs, and Zesco United.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Mathews Ndhlovu opened by praising the opponents:

“Zamalek are a big team in African football and we managed to deliver an outstanding performance against them today.”

He explained:

“The match was tactical in the first degree. We could have scored a goal against Zamalek, but luck was not on our side, and we will work in the coming period to address the issue of not finishing our chances and converting them into goals.”

Ndhlovu added that Zesco took control of the match after the break:

“Zamalek were slow in the second half, and we succeeded in exploiting that by controlling the game, but in the end, Zamalek won.”

Despite the defeat, the Zesco coach remains optimistic about his team’s chances in the group:

“This is the first match in the group stage, and we still have chances to win and qualify for the next round. We aim to win the next match against Al Masry.”

Mathews Ndhlovu concluded by revealing the tactical approach for the second half:

“Our plan in the second half was to play in a specific way relying on speed, especially since Zamalek’s players are older in age and cannot maintain the same level of performance throughout the match.”

Zesco will now shift their focus to their upcoming home clash against Al Masry, while Zamalek will visit Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa.

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