Moroccan football team Raja has been ordered to be quarantined for a week due to coronavirus infections, with the country’s health ministry deciding late Tuesday to abandon the team travelling to Egypt, leaving Saturday’s anticipated match against Zamalek in doubt.
The Moroccan side was due to be hosted by the Whites at Cairo International Stadium in the second leg of the CAF Champions League semifinal.
Zamalek earned a precious first-leg advantage, beating the hosts 1-0 on Sunday.
Just 24 hours after the first leg, Raja officially announced that six players newly tested positive for coronavirus, taking the total number of infected players to eight, besides two from the technical staff.
With the fate of Saturday’s scheduled match uncertain, Moroccan newspaper Al-Montakhab reported late Tuesday that the CAF, the African football governing body, is set to postpone the match.
Zamalek’s president Mortada Mansour showed solidarity with the Moroccan side on Tuesday night, welcoming postponing the match until the recovery of Raja players.
Zamalek are bidding for their sixth Champions League title, and the first since they defeated Raja 1-0 on aggregate in a two-legged final in 2002.
Raja were recently crowned Moroccan champions after a breathtaking race with Wydad Casablanca, which was settled on the final day of the season.
