An all Egyptian final is on the cards of the 2015 Orange CAF Confederation Cup after Zamalek beat Orlando Pirates 4-1 on Sunday in Cairo to finish tops of Group B.
Finishing at the apex of the standings meant Zamalek avoided eternal rivals, Al Ahly, at the semis, with a likelihood that the two teams could come face to face in the final in the event they ease past their respective opponents at the last four.
Finishing at the apex of the standings meant Zamalek avoided eternal rivals, Al Ahly, at the semis, with a likelihood that the two teams could come face to face in the final in the event they ease past their respective opponents at the last four.
The White Knights finished on 15 points and will face Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia at the semis whilst Ahly battles it out with South Africa’s Pirates in the match to decide the finalists for the $660,000 prize-money in the second-tier continental club championship.
Zamalek were simply too much for their South African guests, inflicting on them one of their biggest defeats in recent times at the continental level. The scoreline could have been a different story had the hosts stayed focus in front of goal with Mahmoud ‘Kahraba’ Abdel Moneim, Mohamed Ibrahim and Ahmed Tawfik guilty of spurning chances.
It took only 13 minutes for Zamalek to break the deadlock through Tawfik with a shot from close range after a Kahraba shot was blocked by Happy Jele.
Pirates bounced back and levelled on 32 minutes through captain Oupa Manyisa, who connected home cross from Thamsanqa Gabuza from the left.
Five minutes on, Zamalek went up for the second time after a Kahraba back-heel assist found Ahmed Ibrahim who fired past Felipe Ovono.
Kahraba set up Mustapha Fathi to score the third goal on 62 minutes with his first touch moments after coming on before Kahraba finally put the icing on the cake with the fourth goal on 67 minutes.
Zamalek finished on 15 points, two more than Pirates, who will face another Egyptian opponent, Ahly in the battle for a place at the final.
The other Group B match between AC Leopards of Congo and Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien ended barren in Dolisie. Leopards, winners in 2012 managed five points from six games and Sfaxien with just a point.
Results
Group A
12.09.2015 19H30 Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia) 2-1 Esperance (Tunisia)
12.09.2015 20H30 Al Ahly (Egypt) 1-0 Stade Malien (Mali)
Group B
13.09.2015 15H30 AC Leopards (Congo) 0-0 CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)
13.09.2015 20H30 Zamalek (Egypt) 4-1 Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
Zamalek were simply too much for their South African guests, inflicting on them one of their biggest defeats in recent times at the continental level. The scoreline could have been a different story had the hosts stayed focus in front of goal with Mahmoud ‘Kahraba’ Abdel Moneim, Mohamed Ibrahim and Ahmed Tawfik guilty of spurning chances.
It took only 13 minutes for Zamalek to break the deadlock through Tawfik with a shot from close range after a Kahraba shot was blocked by Happy Jele.
Pirates bounced back and levelled on 32 minutes through captain Oupa Manyisa, who connected home cross from Thamsanqa Gabuza from the left.
Five minutes on, Zamalek went up for the second time after a Kahraba back-heel assist found Ahmed Ibrahim who fired past Felipe Ovono.
Kahraba set up Mustapha Fathi to score the third goal on 62 minutes with his first touch moments after coming on before Kahraba finally put the icing on the cake with the fourth goal on 67 minutes.
Zamalek finished on 15 points, two more than Pirates, who will face another Egyptian opponent, Ahly in the battle for a place at the final.
The other Group B match between AC Leopards of Congo and Tunisia’s CS Sfaxien ended barren in Dolisie. Leopards, winners in 2012 managed five points from six games and Sfaxien with just a point.
Results
Group A
12.09.2015 19H30 Etoile du Sahel (Tunisia) 2-1 Esperance (Tunisia)
12.09.2015 20H30 Al Ahly (Egypt) 1-0 Stade Malien (Mali)
Group B
13.09.2015 15H30 AC Leopards (Congo) 0-0 CS Sfaxien (Tunisia)
13.09.2015 20H30 Zamalek (Egypt) 4-1 Orlando Pirates (South Africa)
By: FIBA.com
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