Ferreira: Zamalek not out of CAFCL just yet

Seifeddine Jaziri of Zamalek is chased by Ghaylen Chalali of Esperance during the CAF Champions League 2022/23 football match between Esperance and Zamalek at the Rades Stadium, Tunis, Tunisia on 25 February 2023 ©Mehrez Abdallah/BackpagePix

by Staff Reporter

Sunday Feb 26, 2023. 11:00

Zamalek head coach Jesualdo Ferreira has refused to rule out their chances of qualifying for the CAF Champions League knockout stages despite going down 2-0 to ES Tunis on Saturday.

The White Knights are bottom of Group D at the halfway stage after failing to secure victory in their opening three matches and collecting just one point in the 0-0 draw with Al Merrikh on matchday 2.

However, Ferreira insists they still have everything to play for in the remaining three group games and believes his team will improve as the competition progresses.

The Portuguese tactician acknowledges the Egyptian Premier League champions need to win their next three matches to advance from the group, with ES Tunis currently in pole position on nine points followed by Al Merrikh on four and CR Belouizdad on three.

“The chance of reaching the quarter-finals is still alive despite the loss to Esperance,” Ferreira said in the post-match press conference.

“There are still nine points to grab. We just finished the first half of the group stage and we haven’t yet delivered our performance.”