Egyptian giants Zamalek were confident enough that they would overturn the shocking 2-1 first leg loss when they host Ethiopia’s debutants Wolaitta Dicha on Sunday in Suez. But Wolaitta Dicha were able to show that nothing is impossible by sending the game to penalties, and then win it to advance to next round in CAF Confederation Cup.
SUEZ, Egypt (Ahram Online)–Egypt’s Zamalek suffered a shock exit from the CAF Confederation Cup round of 32 after losing 4-3 on penalties to Ethiopia’s Wolaitta Dicha following a 2-2 aggregate draw in Cairo on Sunday.
After losing 2-1 in Hawassa, Ethiopia earlier this month, Zamalek triumphed with the same scoreline in regular time to force a penalty shootout that condemned them to a bitter exit at the first hurdle.
Playmaker Ahmed Madbouli gave the hosts the lead from the spot following a disputed penalty on the stroke of half-time before adding another goal just three minutes after the break.
An ill-fated mistake from international keeper Ahmed El-Shennawi, however, allowed the visitors to stun the home crowd through Abdul-Samad Ali in the 52nd minute to level the aggregate score.
The match went straight into penalties, where Zamalek playmaker Ayman Hefni struck the bar and midfielder Mahmoud Abdel-Aziz had a tame effort saved to allow Wolaitta Dicha to cause a huge upset.
Zamalek control, toothless on goal
Zamalek, he five-time African champions, remained in control from the outset, and forward Nana Poku – deployed on the left – came close with a fine header that narrowly went wide 12 minutes into the game.
The Ghanaian Poku, alongside main striker Bassem Morsi, were guilty of some glaring misses inside the box until the referee awarded Zamalek a penalty after adjudging the ball to have touched the arm of a Wolaitta Ditcha defender inside the area. However, television replays showed that the ball had struck his back.
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