Coaching thoroughbred Jose Gomes has CAF Confederation Cup in his sights with Zamalek

Jose Gomes was tending to his horses when the phone call came. Not just any horses, but award-winning Lusitano horses. His family have bred and ridden them for 300 years, the oldest of any in Portugal, close to Guimares in northern Porto.

“I love the horses,” he tells The National. “They used to be bred for the wars, then for work, now it’s more for equestrian. They are used for dressage at the highest level. I have ridden these horses since I was 10 years old but we also have professional riders. My aim to is breed these horses for show jumping.”

Gomes, 53, is also happy to talk with pride about the history of the city of Porto where he was born. “We’re the only city in Portugal which has never been conquered in all the wars. Porto’s other name is ‘Invicta’, it means invincible and FC Porto took this spirit of the city. Even the coaches and players from Lisbon admit that when a player is aggressive and fights for every ball, he has the FC Porto spirit.”

He’s also a football manager who has worked at FC Porto and coached in seven countries managing some big clubs. None of them are as big as his current one, Zamalek, one of the biggest in Africa.

“How could I turn this down?” he explains ahead of the first leg of Sunday’s CAF Confederation Cup final against Moroccan side RSB Berkane.

“Zamalek is a club where you can win trophies. Huge club. Passionate fans. Amazing atmosphere. Let me show you a video of how my life changed from our farm in Portugal.”

The video shows the view from his car the previous night. He is overtaken by a camel on a busy street. As he watches the camel make giant steps, Gomes takes his new life in his stride too.

“When my family was younger and I went to Spain or Greece, they came with me but, as