Nasser Mansi saved Zamalek from a frustrating draw against Rwanda’s APR FC, scoring a 90th-minute winner to secure a precious 1-0 away victory in Kigali in the first leg of the CAF Champions League second preliminary round.
The scoreline did not reflect a convincing performance from the White Knights, who struggled for long periods against their hosts and came close to conceding on multiple occasions, before a late touch from their substitute striker handed them a crucial advantage ahead of the return leg in Cairo.
Zamalek started the match sluggishly, as Oday Dabbagh squandered an early opportunity by delaying his shot. Meanwhile, APR posed significant danger down the right flank, forcing goalkeeper Mahdy Soliman into saves against efforts from Rauf Dao and Djibril Ouattara, as well as a powerful strike just before halftime.
The Rwandan pressure continued after the break, with Traoré Mamadou firing a shot over the crossbar before Ouattara saw a 53rd-minute goal ruled out for offside. Zamalek’s most dangerous attempt came from Ahmed Fatouh, whose shot drifted wide of the target.
Motamed Gamal introduced Mahmoud Gehad and Isho, before bringing on Nasser Mansi and Ahmed Sherif in place of Oday Dabbagh and Chico Banza in the 69th minute. An 88th-minute goal from Ahmed Sherif was subsequently disallowed due to Mahmoud Hamdy “El Wensh” being in an offside position.
Just as the match appeared headed for a draw, Nasser Mansi popped up in the 90th minute to net the winner and hand Zamalek a hard-fought victory—reaffirming his knack for making an impact off the bench after also scoring in stoppage time against Djibouti’s AS Port in the previous round.
Motamed Gamal managed the fixture under exceptional health circumstances, having undergone back surgery prior to the delegation’s departure. He arrived in Kigali at dawn on matchday to join the squad just hours before kickoff, with his assistants handling the bulk of on-field preparations.
The victory alleviates some pressure off the manager following a recent defeat to Al Ahly and fan calls for a technical change, though it has not completely silenced criticisms surrounding the team’s performance. Zamalek will face Petrol Asyut on Tuesday, October 20, before hosting APR FC on Saturday, October 24, at 8:00 PM, ahead of a clash against Arab Contractors on October 28.
