After seeing his team get thrashed 5-1 by Tunisia's Etoile du Sahel in the first leg of their CAF Confederation Cup semi-final on Sunday, Zamalek coach Jesualdo Ferreira claimed he is responsible for the heavy away defeat but that his team can win Egypt to qualify to the tournament's final.

An out-of-form Zamalek went down to Marouane Tej's fifth minute opener before forward Baghdad Bounedjah made it two six minutes later.

Zamalek's Ayman Hefni reduced the arrears with a fine curler after 25 minutes but Alaya Brigui restored Etoile's two-goal advantage 10 minutes later.

More goals followed the break, with the home side registering an historic win thanks to another goal from Tej before defender Saddam Ben Aziza completed the rout in stoppage time.

The result is the Cairo giants' heaviest defeat in Africa since a similar 5-1 whipping by Ghana's Asante Kotoko in the old format of the current Champions League in 1987.

"The game was a horrible nightmare," Ferreira told reporters after the game.

"I and the players are sorry for the heavy defeat, but I am responsible for the result," the tactician added.

Jesualdo Ferreira's men recently secured the double by beating rivals Ahly in the Egypt Cup final last week to add to their league win They now have an almost impossible task in the return leg in Cairo.

To keep their hopes of a treble alive they will have to overturn a four goal deficit.

"We have no chance apart from in fighting to the last minute."

"We won the Egyptian Premier League and the Egypt Cup and we've played 13 games in the Africa tournament with nine wins, three losses and a draw. I'm not giving excuses for the defeat, just facts," Ferreira said.

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