Obama: I achieved with Pyramids what I couldn't accomplish with Zamalek, and I wished to be part of the Century Final.
Youssef Obama, a player for Pyramids FC, spoke about the key stages of his football career, the titles he has won with Zamalek and Pyramids, as well as his relationship with South African head coach Rulani Mokwena and his previous experience with Croatian Krunoslav Jurčić.
Obama explained during an interview with broadcaster Ibrahim Abdel-Gawad on the program "Malab On," which airs on ON Sports: "Winning titles is the happiest thing in my career, while losing is the worst. The most valuable title is the hardest, and all the titles with Zamalek are difficult; every title with Zamalek is special, as is the CAF Champions League title with Pyramids because it was my first of its kind. I have won all the titles with Zamalek except for the CAF Champions League, and thank God I achieved it with Pyramids."
He added: "The saddest moment for me was not playing in the 'Century Final' with Zamalek against Al Ahly. I wished to be there, but it just wasn't meant to be."
Regarding Mokwena, Obama said: "Mokwena loves any player who knows how to play football, and he trusts me. He is a very good person with us and makes the players enjoy working; everyone loves him, so we all fight to achieve victories."
He continued: "Mokwena is different from Krunoslav Jurčić; each has his own style, and the players try to implement his ideas. Jurčić's intensity did not affect us because we all played in big clubs and faced greater pressure than he did."
On his lack of consistent playing time under Jurčić, Obama clarified: "I spoke with Jurčić about not playing regularly, but when I do play, I score goals despite the limited minutes. He didn't give me any convincing reasons as a football player. I trained hard and did what I had to do, and I scored 7 goals even though I didn't start any matches."
About facing Zamalek, he said: "My matches against Zamalek are strange because of the Zamalek fans, as I have a strong relationship with them. However, on the pitch, I want Pyramids to win and collect titles."
He added: "The strength of Zamalek and Al Ahly fans affects the focus of players playing against their clubs. In my opinion, Zamalek fans are the strongest; they won the league title last season and create an atmosphere not seen with any other club."
He continued: "You can expect anything from Zamalek at any time; they can win a title even if they are not at their best thanks to their fans."
Obama concluded his remarks by saying: "The matches between Pyramids and Al Ahly or Zamalek are similar for me; each match has its own circumstances. In my first year with Pyramids, I won against Zamalek home and away, and we lost the cup on penalties and the Super Cup. Luck is the influencing factor, and there are no additional motivations for Pyramids against Al Ahly."
