Ashraf Qassem, former Zamalek star, launched a sharp criticism of the White Knights’ performance following their defeat against Al Ahly in the derby match, affirming that the loss was “extremely painful” and that coach Yannick Ferreira bears part of the responsibility for not addressing the repeated defensive mistakes.

In his statements to On Sport channel, Qassem said that Zamalek “clearly regressed and lost control” in the second half, pointing out that the problem lies in the “repeated defensive retreat mistakes” that appeared in all previous matches, yet “coach Yannick Ferreira has not corrected them so far.”

Qassem added: “Zamalek’s absences should not be an excuse for the defeat; the White Castle has a squad full of stars, and naturally, after losing a match of such magnitude, players should feel regret and responsibility.”

The former star also criticized the phenomenon of “wasting easy chances” suffered by Zamalek players, expressing surprise at the “coach’s excessive reliance on defense after taking the lead,” which gives the opponent a chance to press and come back into the game.

In a technical comparison, Qassem explained that Al Ahly attacked “with close lines and high organization,” while Zamalek’s attack appeared “random and unfocused in the build-up process.”

Ashraf Qassem concluded his statements by sending a message to the White Knights: “If Zamalek wants to truly compete for the league title, it must present a level and performance that justifies and deserves the title; otherwise, things will be difficult.”

Al Ahly’s first football team achieved a 2-1 victory over Zamalek in the ninth round of the league competition.

Zamalek’s goal came from a penalty by Hossam Abdel Meguid in the 31st minute of the first half, while Al Ahly’s first goal was scored by Hussein El Shahat in the 71st minute, and Trezeguet added the second goal in the 78th minute from a penalty kick.

With this win, Al Ahly’s points rose to 15, placing them third in the league standings, while Zamalek remains at the top with 17 points.