During his post-match statements, Yehia said the Cairo Giants could have ended the game in a deserved victory if only they converted half of the opportunities they got throughout the game.

“We were sort of hapless in this game, we couldn’t slot home despite our obvious domination after the interval,” Yehia said.

“In the first half, Zamalek put on a poor performance and leaked a goal, then coach Reiner Hollmann made suitable substitutions that helped us gain control over the game, but the scoring touch was always missing.”

The assistant coach believes that the league stoppage period badly affected the players’ fitness.

The competition’s activities were put on hold for 20 days as Egypt prepared for a World Cup qualifier against Djibouti, which they eventually won 4-0.

“We played several exhibitions to stay in form, all the same, the official games are way more influential and keep players sharply focused and fit” Yehia clarified.

Concerning the exclusion of Ghana striker Junior Agogo from the squad, Yehia said it wouldn’t have been fair for his teammates if he had been chosen, ‘given that he only arrived in Cairo on Thursday night due to flight delay’.

What’s more, He cited injuries as another reason for the defeat, refusing to be blamed for losing three points.

Midfielder Mohamed Abdullah and forward Gamal Hamza were picked after a long road to recovery, and the latter hasn’t fully recuperated yet from abdominal muscle contraction.

Zamalek’s loss was their first one in the ongoing season. They now lie third in the league table with 13 points.