Bravery and respect: striking the right balance for the Zamalek duel

On Sunday evening, we will have a tough mountain to climb and in doing so, we must be focused. Much of our success in this big fixture against Zamalek would be more about our mindset. North African teams come into the competition with history, aura and success. It is little wonder that Zamalek are defending champions of the competition.

We need a change in attitude and approach towards the game. Zamalek’s pedigree is enough reason to show them respect and if we do, it will not be questioned. They have shown their strength by finishing top of the group with a game to spare, so they deserve respect. But how much of that are we willing to give and how will it affect us?

Our mindset is accentuated by Stanley Eguma, who is not new on the continent. Sitting at the pre-match press conference in Cairo on Saturday, you could feel his confidence ahead of the game. His confidence should also reflect on the boys as they step out to do what many refer to as the “unthinkable.”

Responding to questions about the game, Eguma said our goal is to win even though we respect Zamalek. No, don’t laugh it off, it is possible.

We do not want to step onto the pitch in fear and we do not want to be to too conservative in approach. If there is a time we need to bring premium attacking football to the fore, it is now.

Eguma surely knows that we should give Zamalek respect which is due them, anything over the board would see us crash out. The pressure is also on us to deliver. Surely this came up at the press conference today and he said what many Elephants want to hear.

“It is a tight situation. Zamalek have qualified but we need to play to win for us to also qualify, considering what is happening in the other group match. We are the ones under pressure to win.”

The team understands the assignment and knows it is time to go all out for that victory. We do not know what exactly is going on the minds of the boys but Pascal Eze’s thoughts at the press conference could well represent that of the players.

“It is not going to be an easy game. We are focused. We know what is at stake. Our target is for us to get to the next level of the tournament. With things put in place, the strategy from the coach, I think we are ready.”

That is the way to go – the mindset to have. By saying it was not going to be easy, Pascal was in effect giving due respect to Zamalek. How much of it is he and the boys ready to give? He says they want to win and get to the next level of the tournament. Yes, that is how much respect we are willing to give to Zamalek. Hopefully after the whistle, we will have a reason to rejoice.