Ismailia, Egypt – Zamalek secured their place in the quarterfinals of the CAF Confederation Cup after defeating Kaizer Chiefs 2-1 in the final group stage match at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium.
Zamalek started the match with clear attacking pressure, and Ahmed Sherif almost opened the scoring early with a shot from inside the penalty area in the 14th minute, but it went over the crossbar.
In contrast, Al-Mahdi Suleiman intervened in the 21st minute to maintain his team’s lead by blocking a dangerous shot.
Ahmed Sharif missed a clear opportunity in the 38th minute after a quick counter-attack, when his cross passed in front of Uday Al-Dabbagh without being capitalized on.
In the second half, Abdullah Al-Saeed strengthened Zamalek’s lead with a second goal in the 72nd minute, following up on a pass from Mohamed El-Sayed, firing a powerful ground shot into the net.
Maccabi Lilibo narrowed the gap for the visitors in the 75th minute with a header from a corner kick, but that was not enough to change the result.
With this victory, Zamalek raised its tally to 11 points, topping Group D, and officially securing its qualification to the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Kaizer Chiefs’ tally remained at 10 points in third place, bidding farewell to the tournament on goal difference behind the Egyptian runner-up.
