Zamalek coach Jose Gomes admitted his side must be more clinical after they were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Dreams FC in the first leg of their TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup semi-final in Cairo.
The former African champions dominated for long periods against the Ghanaian underdogs on Sunday but failed to make their superiority count, spurning a host of chances at the Cairo Stadium.
“We missed speed and playing our way against Dreams,” said the Portuguese boss.
“There were some technical errors and we did not play optimally, but we had many positions that qualified us to win and decide the match.”
Mercurial winger Shikabala, striker Mostafa Shalaby and substitute Ibrahima Ndaye were all guilty of missing presentable opportunities for the White Knights.
“Unfortunately, we were not able to achieve victory and the first half of the semi-final match ended,” added Gomes. “We now need to focus and play the second half well in Ghana.”
Zamalek will need to be more potent in Kumasi next weekend to avoid exiting the competition, with Dreams able to advance on away goals if they can shut out the Egyptians again.
Gomes is confident the conditions in Ghana will suit his team better, but acknowledges they must improve in the final third.
“Things will be very different in the return match, especially with the grass, humidity and temperature, and even if things are like that, I trust the players,” he said.
“We expected more from the players in the match regarding the way we played. We had many chances and did not score, and it is possible that we will score in Ghana, even if at least one goal.”
With an away goal potentially proving crucial, the onus will be on Zamalek’s misfiring frontline to rediscover their scoring touch and keep alive their hopes of winning the title.
