Egyptian giants Zamalek were held to a goalless draw by Ghana’s Dreams FC in the first leg of their TotalEnergies CAF Confederation Cup semi-final at the iconic Cairo International Stadium on Sunday April 21.
Before next Sunday’s return to Kumasi, where a Dreams away goal could be crucial, Portuguese coach Jose Gomes will be concerned about his team’s wastefulness.
Zamalek invaded the visitors Dreams FC early and put a lot of pressure on them. Before the halfway point of the first half, Shikabala, Mostafa Shalaby, and Ahmed Hamdi all came close to breaking the game’s deadlock.
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As Zamalek’s wastefulness in front of the goal persisted, Dreams goalkeeper Solomon Agbasi had to be alert to block efforts from Shikabala and Travis Mutyaba.
John Antwi’s powerful strike was well saved by Hossam Abdelmaguid as Dreams FC attempted to establish itself.
At halftime, Benin international Samson Akinyoola took Shalaby’s place, but Zamalek’s frustrations grew as the hosts couldn’t find clear scoring opportunities.
Akinyoola missed with a shot, and Shikabala forced Agbasi to make a good save as the offside flag repeatedly saved Dreams.
Zamalek was unable to break through the obstinate Ghanaian rearguard, even though Ibrahima Ndiaye had time to hit the crossbar late on.
It was Dreams FC’s remarkable debut in African football and the first time the two teams had met in the competition.
If Dreams can defeat Zamalek once more in Kumasi next weekend (April 28), they will be excited about their chances of reaching the final with away goals.
