Former Zamalek SC captain Mahmoud Abdel-Razek has revealed the reason he believes caused his side to lose the 2016 CAF Champions League final to Mamelodi Sundowns.
The Egyptian giants lost 3-1 on aggregate against the South African powerhouse, who were still led by Pitso Mosimane in the 2016 Champions League final.
Masandawana claimed a 3-0 win at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in the first leg, before losing 1-0 to the White Knight in the second leg in Egypt, a result that saw Downs become the champions for the first time.
Now, Abdel-Razek, affectionately known as Shikabala, has dropped a bombshell, revealing some of the reasons he believes contributed to Zamalek's loss to the Brazilians.
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"Zamalek did not deserve to win the CAF Champions League title against Sundowns, because the circumstances, atmosphere, and players' behavior before the match were inappropriate," Abdelrazek said per kooora.
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"Before the match against Sundowns, two players were smoking, even though the team roster at the time was only 14 players, and the circumstances were extremely difficult.
"I hope Zamalek finishes second in the league this season, or wins the title, in order to return to participating in the CAF Champions League."
Shikabala officially retired from professional football at the age of 39 last month, having enjoyed a successful career that saw him win several trophies.
Unfortunately, the highly rated Egyptian football legend did not win the Champions League with Zamalek, as he was not part of the team when they won it five times.
