Ahmed Abdel Raouf, the coach of Zamalek, spoke about the victory his team achieved against Pyramids in the semi-finals of the Egyptian Super Cup and their qualification for the final of the tournament.

Zamalek achieved a victory over Pyramids with a score of 5-4 in penalties after the regular time ended in a 0-0 draw in the semi-final match of the Egypt Cup, thus qualifying Zamalek for the final where they will face Al Ahly next Sunday.

Abdul Raouf stated in comments after the match: "We played against a great team, and it can be said that Pyramids is the biggest team in Africa at the moment. We faced difficult circumstances, both in terms of injuries and fatigue, but the players rose to the occasion and achieved what was required."

He added, "We were aware of the strength of Mohamed El-Sheibi's flank at Pyramids, so it was essential to completely shut it down. We succeeded in limiting their danger during the first half. Our goal was also to exhaust their full-backs through continuous pressure, which Bentayk and Fattouh executed remarkably."

He continued: "We were forced to make necessary changes due to injuries, and perhaps the fans were not satisfied with the performance, but we are playing under exceptional circumstances and our main goal is to win the championship."

Regarding Ahmed Sherif's exit from the match, Abdul Raouf explained: "Sherif's substitution was a tactical decision to prevent Pyramids from taking advantage of the advancement of our attacking full-backs, and we indeed succeeded in controlling the situation."

He confirmed: "I try to manage the players' physical condition as much as possible by distributing their effort throughout the match, and the balance was equal between the two teams both technically and physically."

Abdul Raouf concluded his remarks by saying: "I haven't slept for three days, not because of stress, but due to constantly thinking about the match. I coach a big club, and I believe that teams that defend well can win championships, unlike teams that attack well, which may win a match but lose a championship."