Following a 2-0 defeat to Al Ahly at Cairo International Stadium on October 11, 2026, former Zamalek stars and analysts launched sharp criticisms against manager Motamed Gamal’s tactical shifts, physical drop-offs, and administrative gaps as the club sits third in the Egyptian Premier League.
The aftermath of the Cairo derby saw Al Ahly secure a 2-0 victory behind goals from Mohamed Hany in the 39th minute and Moncef Berkar in the 80th minute, lifting the Red Eagles to 16 points at the top of the Egyptian Premier League standings. For Zamalek, the loss halts their momentum at 13 points, leaving them in third place and triggering an immediate wave of post-match postmortems from club legends who questioned everything from tactical experimentation to administrative coordination.
باسم مرسي: أنا لو بلعب الماتش ده كنت شيلت الباكات بتاعت الأهلي ودخلت بيهم الجول#الكلاسيكو#ON pic.twitter.com/puyl0LZwR0
— https://x.com/ONTVEgy/status/2109383492719071625
Tactical Backlash over Shifts Against Al Ahly
Critics zeroed in on Motamed Gamal’s decision to abandon Zamalek’s usual 4-3-3 formation in favor of a 4-4-2 setup. Former captain Mahmoud Abdel Razek Shikabala argued that the team was effectively beaten before kickoff because the players had not trained adequately for the new alignment during the preceding break. Other figures like former player and manager critiques echoed these concerns about preparation and squad selection during round six of the tournament.
We were beaten before the match. We have been playing 4-3-3 for a while, why today do you play 4-4-2? And you didn’t even train the players on the plan… the players played with a tactic they hadn’t trained on, and the method wasn’t suitable for the match.
Similar tactical critiques came from Abdel Hamid Bassiouny, who noted that the 4-3-3 structure offered superior balance and better utilized the speed of Zamalek’s wingers. Meanwhile, Ahmed Abdel Halim expressed surprise at the deployment of Chico Banza, arguing that the player’s positioning was mishandled and failed to unlock his potential, pointing out that Al Ahly’s squad depth and professional roster construction currently hold an advantage over the white squad.
Mido Calls Loss of Team Identity a Footballing Felony
The statistical fallout from the match highlighted deeper systemic struggles in possession. Mido characterized these numbers and the general loss of team identity as a footballing felony.
On the physical side, Shikabala highlighted a sharp decline in stamina, stating that players suffered from a noticeable drop in physical output starting from the 60th minute despite a preparation period lasting between 22 and 25 days prior to the fixture.
Administrative Friction Affects Player Availability
Administrative friction also entered the conversation when discussion turned toward difficulties involving player availability and foreign elements like Oday Dabbagh.
3 شكاوى وقرارات منتظرة.. إيه اللي بيحصل في الزمالك بعد الخسارة من الأهلي؟ 👀🔥 pic.twitter.com/Xubj5ZckUS
— https://x.com/Yallakoranow/status/2110065461295546866
More on Al Ahly
الناظر | ماهر غريب: مباراة القمة أمام الأهلي هي أفضل مباراة لعبها الزمالك في الدوري حتى الآن.#الناظر_مع_شوبير #الناظر pic.twitter.com/lWS7supblg
— https://x.com/ShobierOfficial/status/2110844915861361061
