Zamalek coach Peseiro on Egypt Cup clash: "We must be at our best technically"

Zamalek head coach José Peseiro held a press conference on Friday to discuss his team's upcoming Egypt Cup quarterfinal match against Smouha. Zamalek will face Smouha at 7:30 PM GMT on Saturday at Cairo International Stadium.

Tough match ahead

The head coach emphasized the difficulty of the upcoming clash against Smouha in the Egypt Cup.

In the press conference, he stated:

"We are aiming to win the Egypt Cup title and are fighting to claim every trophy we compete in. We must be at our best technically and fully focused both as a coaching staff and as players, especially since cup matches are a one-time opportunity."

Peseiro also highlighted Smouha’s strength, praising their technical abilities and confirming his full respect for the opponent ahead of the match.

"We all discuss the game as a coaching staff and players before kick-off, but the 90 minutes on the field are always the deciding factor. Matches are won on the pitch, not outside it."

Peseiro briefly discusses Al Ahly forfeit

The Zamalek coach expressed that he would have preferred to face Al Ahly on the field and defeat them, rather than winning by forfeit. However, he acknowledged that the cancellation of the match allows his players to get more rest amid a busy schedule.

"I don’t want to talk too much about Al Ahly’s withdrawal from the last derby. Right now, we have a more important challenge—a tough match against a strong opponent in the Egypt Cup. We are focused on winning and qualifying for the semifinals."

Peseiro revealed that Nasser Mansy and Mahmoud Gehad will remain absent for the Smouha clash, as they are still being prepared for upcoming matches. Therefore, Zamalek’s squad for this match will be nearly identical to the one used in the last Cairo derby.

"At times, I may resort to squad rotation but this is not based on whether the match is in the league or the cup. My goal is always to field the best eleven players in terms of readiness, especially since we have many technically outstanding players in the squad."