EGYPTIAN giants Zamalek completed the 2019-20 Total CAF Champions League group stage pack, after a home 1-0 victory over Senegal’s Generation Foot at the Cairased Al Salam Stadium on Thursday.
The first round second leg rescheduled game was postponed from last month due to some unfavourable conditions, and saw Zamalek winning through Djibril Diop’s own goal after 20 minutes, to go through to the group stage on away goals rule, after losing 2-1 in Thies last month, with the aggregate score tied at 2-2.
Zamalek will complete Group A of the mini-league stage besides DR Congo’s TP Mazembe, Zambia’s Zesco United and Angola’s Primeiro de Agosto. Meanwhile Generation Foot is demoted to second tier CAF Confederation Cup playoff round where they will face Benin’s ESAE for a place in the group stage.
Despite the attacking start from the hosts, first chance fell to the Senegalese at the quarter hour mark, when Zamalek’s goalkeeper Mohamed Awwad saved Dominique Mendy shot from close range.
Zamalek took the lead five minutes later when Youssef “Obama” Ibrahim’s cross was wrongly deflected by Diop into his own net.
Mosatafa Mohamed should have doubled Zamalek’s lead with a towering header that missed the target after 34 minutes. Awwad came to rescue Zamalek again just before the break as both sides went to the dressing rooms with the hosts leading 1-0.
Generation Foot continued to press on Zamalek defence, and five minutes after the break Awwad once again proved to be the hosts’ hero when he stopped Mame Gueye’s goal bound header.
Mahmoud Alaa missed a golden opportunity to double Zamalek’s lead at the night, when he missed a 65th minute penalty. After a handball on the guests’ defence inside the vital area, Alaa saw his shot rattling the crossbar.
Zamalek had to deal with a blow when Awwad got injured after 77 minutes to leave the pitch to second choice goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhy.
The remaining minutes witnessed no serious chances from both sides as Zamalek paved their way to the group stage, while Generation Foot will try to make amends in the second tier CAF Confederation Cup. – cafonline
