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Peseiro wins first match in Egypt
Cairo giants Zamalek returned to winning ways with a commanding 3-0 victory over Enppi in the Egyptian Premier League’s 17th matchday at Arab Contractors Stadium on Tuesday, handing Portuguese coach Jose Pesiero his first win.
Zamalek’s victory was fueled by a second-half brace from midfielder Abdallah El-Said and a clinical finish from striker Nasser Mansi.
The win marked a crucial turnaround for manager José Peseiro, whose side had failed to secure a victory since his appointment on 14 February, drawing 1-1 against Petrojet, Ahly, and ZED FC in succession.
Zamalek pressed from the opening whistle, eager to score early and ease pressure on their players, but they failed to create any genuine opportunities.
Three minutes into the first half, striker Nasser Mansi nearly broke the deadlock when he connected with Omar Gaber’s precise pass from the right wing, firing a right‐footed shot from close range that was saved by Enppi’s goalkeeper Abdel-Rahman Samir.
The White Knights controlled much of the game, dominating Enppi in their own half, while the Petroleum side relied on rapid counter-attacks that were consistently rebuffed by Zamalek’s defence.
In the 28th minute, Zamalek’s Portuguese coach, Jose Peseiro, was forced to make a change after winter signing Tunisian winger Ahmed Jafeli suffered a muscular injury, introducing Mohmed Hamdi as his replacement.
Despite sustained pressure, Zamalek failed to breach Enppi’s resolute defense before halftime. The visitors grew into the game as the half wore on, ensuring the teams entered the break goalless.
Peseiro reshuffled at halftime, introducing veteran playmaker Abdallah El-Said in place of defender Hossam Abdel-Maguid to inject creativity into midfield, which proved inspired.
Five minutes after the restart, Zamalek were awarded a penalty following a VAR-confirmed handball by Enppi defender Khaled Ahmed.
El-Said stepped up calmly, slotting a low right-footed finish into the bottom corner to ignite the scoreboard in the 53rd minute.
Mansi doubled the lead in the 66th minute, rising brilliantly to head home Moroccan fullback Mahmoud Bentayg’s looping cross from the left flank.
Zamalek continued to surge forward, with El-Said orchestrating attacks, but Enppi’s defense held firm until stoppage time.
Four minutes into injury time, the 39-year-old maestro sealed his brace, and the victory, firing a first-time strike into the roof of the net after latching onto substitute Seif Gaafar’s cutback from the left.
The result solidifies Zamalek’s hold on third place with 32 points, seven behind leaders Pyramids FC and four adrift of arch-rivals Ahly, though both rivals have a game in hand.
Meanwhile, Enppi remain rooted in the relegation zone at 17th with just 12 points.
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Other Leagues
Peseiro seeks first win in his appointment with Zamalek against Enppi in the Egyptian League
Former Nigeria manager, Jose Peseiro is still trying to find his feet in Egypt as his Zamalek is looking to secure their first victory after four matches,
Since Peseiro’s appointment on 14 February, Zamalek have failed to win, drawing 1-1 against Petrojet, Ahly, and ZED FC.
“We didn’t achieve victory in the last three games, but we played good football, and the performance has improved,” Peseiro told the pre-game press conference.
The team is currently third in the standings with 29 points, 10 behind joint leaders Pyramids FC, and seven adrift of second-placed Ahly.
Enppi, on the other hand, are struggling near the bottom of the table with just 12 points.
“We aim to win against Enppi as Zamalek fights to win all the games,” the Zamalek coach said.
This season, the Egyptian Premier League adopted a single-round format with all 18 clubs competing.
The top nine teams will advance to the title race, while the bottom clubs will fight to avoid relegation.
Zamalek will be without key players, including Ahmed ‘Zizo’ Sayed and Mohamed Shehata, who are suspended. Tunisian defender Hamza Mathlouthi, Ahmed Hamdi, and Mohamed Abdel-Shafi remain sidelined due to injuries.
“We have more absentees ahead of the Enppi game, and as any coach would want, I hope for the availability of the entire squad to achieve victory. However, I am confident in the performance of the available players,” the Portuguese coach added.
Peseiro will rely on veteran midfielder Abdalla El-Saied and midfielder Nasser Maher, who returns from a three-game suspension, to help secure his first win with the Whites.
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Nigerian striker Victor Olatunji delivered another match-winning performance for Sparta Prague, coming off the bench to score the decisive goal in their 2-1 victory over Sigma Olomouc in a Czech Liga clash on Saturday.
Olatunji’s goal, which came in the 87th minute, took his tally to seven goals for the season in the Czech Republic’s topflight league.
The victory lifted Sparta Prague to second place in the league, 10 points behind leaders Slavia Prague, who have a game in hand.
Sparta Prague had taken the lead in the 25th minute through Jan Kuchta, who converted a close-range effort from a corner.
However, Sigma Olomouc responded 12 minutes later, with Filip Zorvan finishing off a brilliant team move to bring the score level at 1-1.
With the match hanging in the balance, Sparta Prague head coach Tomas Janotka called on Olatunji to replace Albion Rrahmani in the 61st minute.
The Nigerian forward had an early chance, but his first effort flew wide of the target.
However, Olatunji made no mistake in the 87th minute. He latched onto a long pass from Jaroslav Zeleny, before coolly slotting the ball past Sigma Olomouc’s goalkeeper Jan Koutny to seal the win for Sparta Prague.
Olatunji’s performance earned him a rating of 7.5 from Flashscore and he was named the player of the match for his crucial contribution.
The win moved Sparta Prague up to second place in the Chance Liga, with their eyes now on reducing the gap between them and leaders Slavia Prague. Sparta will have a chance to do just that when they face Slavia in a highly anticipated Prague derby on March 8.
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Zamalek failed to secure their first victory under newly appointed Portuguese coach José Peseiro, settling for a 1-1 draw against ZED FC in the Egyptian Premier League on Thursday.
Nasser Mansy canceled out, in the fifth minute of additional time of the first half, Mostafa Ziko’s 25th-minute opener to concede a third straight draw in as many games.
Since his appointment on 14 February, Peseiro has yet to secure a victory, with Zamalek drawing 1-1 against Petrojet, Ahly, and ZED FC.
The result, Zamalek remain third in the table with 29 points, seven behind joint leaders Ahly and Pyramids FC. ZED FC sit 10th with 20 points from 16 matches.
Two set-pieces
Zamalek dominated possession against ZED FC who sat back on defence but were dangerous on the counter.
In the 25th minute, Mostafa Ziko collected a poorly cleared corner to strike the opener from inside the area.
Zamalek pressed forward but struggled to capitalize on their chances. Mostafa Shalaby, Omar Gaber, and Zizo all missed key opportunities, with the latter striking the crossbar in the 35th minute.
Just before halftime, Nasser Mansy headed in a precise corner from Ahmed “Zizo” El Sayed.
Peseiro introduced Seifeddine Jaziri, Nasser Maher and young Tunisian winger Ahmed Jefali to bolster the attack, but ZED FC goalkeeper Ali Lotfi denied Zizo’s powerful effort late in the match.
Zamalek were reduced to 10 men in stoppage time after Mohamed Shehata received a second yellow card.
Zamalek will next face Enppi in their 17th league match on Tuesday.
-Ahram
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