Ahly star Moemen Zakariya expressed his absolute elation at the club’s first win against Italian club AS Roma since 2002 on Friday afternoon.
The club won a clean 4-3 victory in the friendly match held at the Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al-Ain, the United Arab Emirates.
In a post-match statement, Zakariya said, “I can’t take the credit for our victory. I’m a player, and I did my job as a part of the machine. All the boys played a part in delivering that result for the fans,” reported Al-Masry Al-Youm.
“Our manager, Martin Jul, told us to give it all we had – strength and attack – to take the win. Respecting your opponent and watching their tactics is the key to beating them,” he said.
"I want to make a promise to fans that we’re going to carry on making a huge effort to win all our matches this season,” quoted Al-Masry Al-Youm.
“I want to dedicate the goal I scored and the win to my family, and to Egypt," Zakariya concluded.
But along with the euphoria, the match brought mixed emotions for spectators.
Loyalties were divided as the crowd watched Egypt’s beloved Mohamed Salah, recently signed to AS Roma, play against Ahly.
However, Zakariya had nothing but praise for Salah: “The Egyptians were happy to see Mohamed Salah put in a good performance, of course, and we wish him every success for his career."
Meanwhile, in the wake of Thursday’s EgyptAir tragedy, post-match celebrations were muted. According to Al-Arabiya English, officials at the stadium called off the concert and fireworks scheduled for after the game.
The match began with a one-minute silence to remember the victims of the crash, said Khaleej Times.
