After having the narrowest of victories at home, Egyptian giants Zamalek travel to the Mediterranean resort of Sousse to face rivals Tunisia’s Etoile du Sahel, as both sides seek a place at the 2018/19 Total CAF Confederation Cup final.
Zamalek managed a 1-0 victory at the Alexandria-based Borg El Arab stadium last weekend. Mahmoud “Kahraba” Abdel Monem scored what proved to be the game’s only goal after 36 minutes to give the White Knights a slim advantage ahead of the return leg, scheduled for Sunday at Stade Olympique de Sousse.
While Etoile needs a two goal margin victory, Zamalek knows a draw will be enough to see them through to the final, in their quest to end a 16-year drought in CAF competitions. But before that they have to end a long jinx at their rivals’ den. In three previous visits Zamalek has conceded three defeats at Sousse, the latest being a heavy 5-1 defeat at the same stage of the 2015 CAF Confederation Cup.
Etoile have enjoyed a good spell at home this term, with four wins and just one defeat (to compatriots CS Sfaxien at the group stage). While Zamalek’s on the road record this season has witnessed a roller coaster, winning once, drawing three and losing twice in six away games in the competition.
The Tunisians was dealt a huge blow after their iconic midfielder Mohamed Amin Ben Omar suffered a knee injury in last week’s game that will sideline him for the rest of the season. Malek Baayo would be his replacement, with striker Karim Aribi also not available serving suspension after being sent off against Sudan’s Al Hilal at the previous round.
On the other side, Zamalek be without their midfield maestro Ferjani Sassi, who will miss the rest of the competition due to an ankle injury that forced him to undergo a surgery last month.
Assistant Coach of Etoile, Rafik Mohamady said his side is ready for Sunday’s game. “We want to make our supporters happy, and our target is reaching the final and winning the trophy. It’s going to be a very tough game. Zamalek won the first leg and they are a very good side, but we have the capabilities to score more than once and settle the game in our favour”, he told reporters upon ‘Les Diables Rouge’ return to Sousse last Monday.
On the other side, Zamalek will have a private jet to Sousse to give their players maximum rest before the return leg.
The aggregate winner will face either Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien or Morocco’s RS Berkane in the final, with the trophy, a place in 2019 CAF Super Cup and 1.25 million US dollars at stake.
