Hazem Emam: If Guardiola were here, it wouldn't change much at Zamalek

Hazem Emam, former Zamalek star, stated that Al Ahly's victory in the Cairo derby is not the end of the road, pointing out that the result of the match does not determine the shape of the competition for the title.

Al Ahly FC secured a 2-0 victory over Zamalek on Sunday evening in the sixth round of the Egyptian League.

Hazem Imam said in the analysis studio for ON Sport: "We congratulate Al Ahly, it's normal, last year we congratulated them and won the league," emphasizing that the result of the summit match does not determine the shape of the competition for the title, and that Zamalek is capable of returning again.

Imam believes the result of the match did not accurately reflect the flow of the game; despite the effort put in by Al Ahly FC, the chances exchanged between both sides were enough for the encounter to end in a 1-1 draw. This was pointed out by the former Zamalek star, who clarified that the numerical difference did not fully represent the closely matched levels on the pitch.

Hazem Imam criticized the conditions under which Mo'tamed Gamal, the coach of Zamalek, is working, explaining that it is unreasonable to demand the coach to achieve victories consistently without providing suitable alternatives on the bench, despite the team having a group of good players.

Zamalek's lack of effective alternatives and solutions was highlighted, as substitutions failed to make the expected attacking or tactical difference. This flaw was clearly manifested after Abdallah El Said left his position for Mohamed Hamad, in addition to Ahmed Fatouh's exit and Esho's entry, changes that negatively affected the team's cohesion and raised questions about the depth of the squad and the quality of the substitutes.

In concluding his remarks, Hazem Imam has lifted the burden off head coach Moataz Gamal, considering that the crisis is deeper than the identity of the coach; he confirmed that bringing in a coach of Pep Guardiola's caliber would not make a significant difference given the severe lack of effective options and alternatives. He emphasized that the success of any tactical approach depends on having tools and elements capable of implementing it in major matches, adding with a spontaneous phrase that summarizes the situation: "If Guardiola can't do anything because he doesn't have solutions."