Before Liverpool stormed to victory in the Champions League final in June, there was a spell where English football seemed off the pace of Europe s elite. Spanish teams, namely Real Madrid, dominated the world s most prestigious club competition with Los Blancos winning three consecutive titles and four in five years. Only rival Barcelona stopped them winning five on the bounce. However, former England international Michael Owen, who played for Real Madrid for a season, believes that after years of playing catch up, Premier League clubs -- Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea -- will be the teams to beat in this season s tournament. "I think the English game is just stepping ahead of the Spanish game," Owen told CNN Sport s Christina MacFarlane. "I would still be going with an English team to win the Champions League again this year." Owen s prediction comes off the back of one of the most tightly fought Premier League campaigns in the competition s history. Both Liverpool and eventual champion Manchester City set new standards during a quite remarkable campaign in which Jurgen Klopp s team finished second despite losing just one league game. Credit for the quality shown by both teams must lay at the feet of both Liverpool boss Klopp and Manchester City s manager Pep Guardiola. The 48-year-old Guardiola, in particular, has created a team capable of dominating any opponent around the world, reminiscent of his miraculous Barcelona side that dominated European football for so long. However, despite its Premier League domination over the last two seasons, City has its sights set firmly of European glory -- something that has avoided Guardiola since he left the Nou Camp in 2012. "If Manchester City and Liverpool could do a deal they would switch it around," said Owen, speaking about the trophies both clubs won respectively last season. "They are both craving what each other have got." Liverpool will open the defense of its title away to Napoli on Tuesday whilst Manchester City travel to Ukraine to take on Shakhtar Donetsk Wednesday. Meanwhile, last year s beaten finalist Tottenham will begin its campaign against Olympiacos and Chelsea hosts Valencia. Real Madrid s dominance over? Owen started his career at Liverpool, bursting onto the scene as a fresh-faced 17-year-old with speed to burn and an unrivaled eye for goal. Scoring 158 times in 297 appearances for the Reds, Owen established himself as one of the greatest players in the world and wrote his name in the history books by winning the Ballon d Or in 2003. It was an accolade that instigated a move to Real Madrid and an opportunity to play alongside the famed Galacticos -- joining the likes of Luís Figo, Ronaldo and David Beckham at the Bernabeu. However, the current Real squad is a pale shadow of its former self, with boss Zinedine Zidane tasked with rebuilding an aging team without the talismanic Cristiano Ronaldo it had depended on for so long. "Real Madrid relied on him a lot when they won it," added Owen, referring to Ronaldo and Real s previous Champions League domination. Madrid faces an exciting tie against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, a game which will see two of the most valuable soccer clubs in the world go head to head. Bankrolled by Qatari ownership, PSG is the dominant force in Ligue 1 but the project was always meant to reap rewards in Europe -- a feat that has no far looked beyond the Parisian club. To make matters worse, star man Neymar -- who seemed desperate for a move away from the French capital -- is now having to rebuild his relationship with the fans. "I expected more from PSG for many years," Owen said. "They ve got all the money, all the players. They don t tend to be able to gel together and go on a serious run." Magic happens at Anfield With both of his former teams known for their prowess in European competition -- Liverpool has six European titles while Real Madrid has a record 13 -- Owen thinks the Reds are most likely to add to its collection this season. In addition to a forward line which has blown away defenses for the last two seasons, and a defense marshaled by Virgil van Dijk -- Champions League defender of the season -- Liverpool possesses something which makes them a truly "great knockout side." "They ve got one thing that nobody else has got -- and that s their home ground," Owen said, referring to the 54,000 capacity Anfield Stadium. "Magic happens at that ground, something happens. I don t know why or how but it s ingrained in that ground. So no matter what the score is, if you go to Anfield as a second leg then you are in for it." There is a wealth of evidence to back up Owen s claim, not least last season s miracle match against Barcelona. Blown away by Lionel Messi et al in the first leg, Liverpool completed one of the great Champions League comebacks to win the match on its way to winning the trophy. Group of death It was the second consecutive year that the Catalan club threw away a seemingly unbeatable lead. In 2018, it was AS Roma who defied the odds at the quarterfinal stage. Barca now faces a tricky path to the knockout stages of this season s tournament after being drawn in the "Group of Death," alongside Borussia Dortmund, Slavia Prague and a resurgent Inter Milan. Despite its fragility on the European stage in recent years, Owen still believes Barca will be favorites to progress from the group by taking advantage of slipping standards in the Bundesliga. "I think Inter Milan can be quite a strong team this year," Owen said when asked who would miss out on qualification from Group F. [Dortmund] are a very good team, a lot of experience in the Champions League but German football is just not, I don t know ... Bayern Munich is wobbling a little bit at the moment and not doing so well in the Champions League. Of course, they are still winning the Bundesliga so it might be a reflection of the German league having a slight dip." Barcelona will face Dortmund in its first group game on Tuesday.

Ahly s assistant coach Samy Komsan has assured that the team will continue its training after returning to Egypt from Equatorial Guinea for the 2017/2018 Super Cup game scheduled for Friday against arch-rivals Zamalek. "The team will resume its trainings on Monday without resting due to the narrow timeframe, despite the exhausting flight," Komsan told Ahly s official website on Monday. On Saturday, the Red Devils defeated Equatorial Guinea s Kano Sport 2-0 in the first leg game of the 32nd round of the Confederation of African Football s (CAF) Champions League. "Defeating Kano Sport is a positive motivational push for the players ahead of the Egypt Super Cup. However, Ahly-Zamalek matches have their own calculations," Komsan revealed. "The domestic Super Cup final will definitely be a tough game, each side will play for the win and clinch a title at the beginning of the season. "All the players are focused. Everyone on the team knows the importance of the game as it is a title game," said the 43-year-old Ahly assistant coach and former player. Friday s Super Cup edition, with Ahly as league champions and Zamalek as Egypt Cup winners in 2018, was delayed by more than a year due to a packed season schedule last year. The derby will witness for the first time since 2013 up to 10,000 fans attending the Super Cup . The two sides will also meet in a 2018/2019 Super Cup at a yet-to-be-determined date. Ahly won the 2019 league title by bridging an eight-point gap with perennial rivals Zamalek, who claimed a consolation by winning the Egypt Cup after beating Pyramids FC 3-0 in the final. Ahly are the record winners of the Super Cup with 10 titles, seven clear of Zamalek.

After securing a precious first leg advantage, Ahly s Swiss coach Rene Weiler expects an easy mission for his team when they host Equatorial Guinea s Cano Sport in the return match of the African Champions League round of 32. The Reds moved to the brink of a place in the prestigious tournament s group stage after second half goals from two substitutes powered them to a 2-0 away win over their Guinean hosts on Saturday. "We managed to deliver a very good game in the first leg and that will make our mission easier in the return match in Cairo," Weiler was quoted as saying by the club s official website after the match. Record eight-time winners Ahly, who are chasing their first Champions League crown since 2013, will host Cano Sport in the second leg on 27 September. "We weren t lucky today as we wasted many chances against the goal," the Ahly coach explained. "I am happy to achieve my first win with Ahly. We face a difficult time as time is very limited so it is difficult to talk about any technicalities," he added. Ahead of the return match, League champions Ahly will be facing archrivals and cup holders Zamalek on Friday in the Egyptian Super Cup. "We are lucky to win through the substitutions which made a big difference, and beating Cano Sport is a good motivation for our players ahead of facing Zamalek," Weiler concluded.

The Egyptian Football Association s competitions committee announced on Thursday the new season s fixtures table, revealing that Ahly will start their journey by facing Smouha, while Zamalek is facing Ittihad of Alexandria. The derby between Ahly and Zamalek will not be played at the end of each half of the season, as the new draw system put the first leg match in the 4th round, while the second leg match will take place in the 21st round. Head of the competitions committee Hossam El-Zanaty revealed that the 2019-2020 Egyptian Premier League season will start on 21 September, and is scheduled to conclude by May, putting in consideration that Egyptian teams are participating in regional and continental competitions. "The teams that will play in African competitions and in Arab Club Championship abroad will take a four-day rest before and after the game," El-Zanaty said during the Egyptian Premier League s draw ceremony. "The teams playing in Egypt will be given three days before the game and three days after the game to rest. "If one of these teams reaches the semi final or final stage, the team will be given five days rest in the home match and six days in the away game," he said.

Ahly squad flew early on Wednesday to Equatorial Guinea to meet Cano Sport in the capital of Malabo in the first leg of round 32 of the CAF Champions League game on Saturday. Ahly s new Swiss coach Rene Weiler has called up 25 players to join the travelling squad; including veteran goalkeeper Sherif Ekramy after he recovered from his injury. Tunisian left-back Maaloul, Moroccan striker Walid Azaro, Angolan winger Geraldo and Malian midfielder Aliou Dieng will join their teammates directly in Equatorial Guinea after ending their commitments with their national teams. Last month, the eight-time African champions Ahly defeated South Sudanese Atlabara 13-0 on aggregate in the round of 64, while the Guinean side Cano Sport beat Ethiopia s Mekelle 3-2 on aggregate in the same preliminary stage. The Cairo giants will host Cano Sport in the second-leg match in Egypt two weeks later. Ahly are eyeing their ninth CAF Champions League title under the new coach Weiler, who took the helm last week.

Egyptian players should always commit to strict regulations to display the best performance, said Zamalek s coachMilutin Micho Sredojevic, who also stressed that football is not about big names, but about those who apply modern football standards. "I concentrate on four factors, the first of them is strict adherence, and the second is respecting the 111-year-old club which has millions of fans," Micho told Al-Hadath Al-Youm TV Channel. "Another factor is stressing that we are a big family which needs to respect the Egyptian traditions and culture. I am so proud to be a member of Zamalek s family," he added. Micho led Zamalek in four games since he joined the team last month, winning all of them and nabbing the Egypt Cup title after defeating Pyramids FC 3-0 in the final last Sunday. The 50-year-old former Uganda coach has praised Zamalek s board for their successful transfer market, saying, "I thank the board for signing good players who possess great personalities and deserve to wear Zamalek s jersey." Zamalek is scheduled to face Senegal s Generation Foot in the first leg match of the 32nd round of the African Champions League on 14 September. "Every successful team needs three things: a solid defence that starts the attack from the back lines, a strong offense, and an enjoyable performance for the fans. This is my dream and what I seek, and I m sure that Zamalek can reach it," Micho concluded.

A double from new recruit Achraf Bencharki gave Zamalek their sixth Egypt Cup title in the last seven seasons following a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Pyramids FC in Alexandria on Sunday. The Moroccan winger, who joined from Saudi side Al-Hilal in the summer, netted with two clinical finishes to end the match as a contest after deep-lying forward Youssef Ibrahim had given Zamalek the lead early in the second half. The White Knights displayed a free-flowing game to tore their hapless opponents to shreds, wrapping up their favourite title without conceding a single goal and giving new Serbian coach Micho his first triumph at the helm. The Egypt Cup win, coupled with an African Confederation Cup triumph in May, will ease the disappointment of Zamalek s failure to complete a treble after throwing away a comfortable lead to surrender the Egyptian league title to arch foes Ahly. Zamalek took their tally to 27 Egypt Cup titles, 9 behind Ahly who could only win the secondary domestic competition once in the last 12 years. Although Zamalek had the better of the first-half chances, Pyramids were more than a match in an exciting duel. Pyramids, who were eyeing their first title, could have drawn the first blood as early as the eight minute when a bicycle effort from Ghanaian striker John Antwi went just wide of the post. But Zamalek quickly took control, with some dynamic moves and perfectly-timed runs from wingers Mahmoud Shikabala and Bencharki behind the defence unsettling Pyramids rearguard. However, Zamalek s best chances were created via set-pieces rather than orchestrated, open-play moves. Tunisian midfielder Ferjani Sassi volleyed high over with the goal gaping after keeper Ahmed El-Shennawi fumbled at an inswinging corner from Shikabala. The towering goalie then atoned for his mistake by producing a superb one-handed save to thwart a goal-bound header from Sassi. Zamalek turned on the style in the second half to crush Pyramids, thanks to some neat combinations down both flanks as Bencharki and Shikabala stole the show. They deservedly went ahead in the 52nd minute when Sassi found Shikabala on the right with a pinpoint long ball that sliced open the defence, with the veteran winger neatly controlling it before feeding Ibrahim with the outside of his left foot for an easy tap-in at the far post. Bencharki made it 2-0 11 minutes later with a fine header following an inviting cross from right-back Hamdi Nagguez before completing the rout seven minutes from time after finishing off a sublime team move. A series of intricate passes released substitute Mohamed Ounajem on the left and he pulled the ball back to the unmarked Bencharki to side-foot home and spark wild celebrations in the stands.

Pyramids FC will be eyeing their first ever title when they face Egypt Cup title holders Zamalek in the championship s final on Sunday. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced that 20.000 fans would be allowed to attend the anticipated game of Egypt s secondary domestic competition final at Alexandria s Borg El-Arab stadium. The match date was finally announced by the football association after a very long season due to Egypt s hosting of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Pyramids FC, formerly known as Al-Assiouty Sport, reached their first ever final of a major competition after beating Petrojet 2-0 on Monday. Zamalek, who seek their sixth cup title in seven seasons, booked their place in the final after Sunday s 1-0 win over Ittihad of Alexandria. The Whites are the Cup holders after winning the title in the last edition in 2018; beating Smouha 5-4 on penalties. Zamalek chase their second title this season after they claimed the CAF Cup title last May. It would be a golden chance for Zamalek to reconcile fans after losing the precious league title to arch-rivals Ahly after throwing away an eight-point lead. On the other side, the title will kick off a glory era for the high-spending club Pyramids that already became a rising football powerhouse in Egypt after being sold to foreign investors in 2018. Sunday s match will witness a big challenge as Zamalek and Pyramids FC will start the game with newly assigned coaches; the Serbian Milutin "Micho" Sredojevic and the French Sebastien Desabre, respectively. Zamalek squad will be boosted by Tunisian key duo right-back Hamdi Nagguez and central midfielder Ferjani Sassi after obtaining permission to put off joining their national team. Pyramids FC will be at full strength after announcing that injured trio Mohamed Farouk, Nabil Emad Dunga and Eric Traore had fully recovered for the final. Serbian Coach Micho has reportedly warned Zamalek s players against their opponent s quick movements on the field , while French tactician Desabre said he believed both teams had equal chances to win the Egypt Cup title.

Former Spain manager Vicente del Bosque has said he would not have brought Neymar back to La Liga had he been coach of Barcelona or Real Madrid, even though he recognises the Brazilian s outstanding qualities as a player. Barcelona held several meetings with Paris St Germain to bring the Brazilian back to the Camp Nou two years after he walked out on them to join the French side for a world record fee of 222 million euros (about $245 million). But the two clubs failed to strike a deal before the transfer window closed on Sept. 2, with PSG s sporting director Leonardo claiming that the Spanish champions had failed to meet his side s asking price. Leonardo also acknowledged that his club had spoken to Real Madrid about the forward. Neymar has scored 51 goals for PSG but both of his seasons in France have been marred by serious injuries at key stages in the campaign. He also had an on-field dispute with team mate Edinson Cavani over penalty taking duties. "I think it would have been good for the Spanish league if he had come back but if I was a coach of a club I wouldn t have brought him back," Del Bosque told Spanish television network Estudio Estadio. "Whilst I ll say he is a brilliant player, I don t think very highly of him for other reasons." Del Bosque, who won the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012 as Spain coach plus two Champions League titles as coach of Real, also criticised Neymar for the manner in which he left Barcelona in 2017. "With Barcelona he did not behave well, in fact he behaved badly, very badly," he added. "If you surveyed Barcelona fans I m sure that more than half of them wouldn t want him back. There s a reason for that."

Tunisia have granted permission to Zamalek right-back Hamdi Nagguez and central midfielder Ferjani Sassi to stay with the Cairo club for Sunday s Egypt Cup final despite being called up by their national team for two friendlies this month. In a brief statement on its Facebook page, the Tunisian Football Federation said it had accepted a request from Zamalek to have the influential players available for Sunday s clash against Pyramids FC. Tunisia will now face Mauritania and Cote d voire in two friendly matches without Sassi and Nagguez. Both players are key to Zamalek s chances of winning their second trophy of the season after they clinched the African Confederation Cup title. Sassi has quickly become a fan favourite following his arrival at Zamalek from Saudi side Al Nassr in the summer of 2018, thanks to his defence-splitting passes and neat distribution of the ball. Nagguez, who joined Zamalek from Tunisia s Etoile Sahel in January 2018, is also one of the team s key men, with his inviting crosses from the right providing many assists. Zamalek, who lost the Egyptian Premier League title to arch rivals Ahly after throwing away an eight-point lead, reached the Cup final after claiming a 1-0 win over Ittihad on Sunday.

Pyramids FC French coach Sebastien Desabre said he believes that his team has an equal chances with rivals Zamalek to win Egypt Cup title. The two teams will meet on Sunday in Egypt s secondary domestic competition final. "I am happy to face Zamalek and also with meeting Ahly in the round of 16. We respect both teams," the French tactician Desabre, who took charge of Pyramids FC earlier in July, told ON Sport TV channel on Monday night. Pyramids FC, who elminated league champions Ahly in the cup s round of 16 after beating them 1-0 on 17 August, have reached their first ever Egypt Cup final after defeating Petrojet 2-0 on Monday. "We should prepare well for the Zamalek test at both the technical and physical levels," said the Pyrmaids coach after the Petrojet win. "We have a chance to win the cup title. Our chances are 50/50 with Zamalek," the former Uganda and Egypt s Ismaily coach said. "We have to get rest for some time and then continue our work and develop our performance." "The team is improving gradually and this is clear with every match. We played five matches and won all of them and the performance gets better." "There is a competition between players and this motivates everyone and is beneficial for all of us. My ambition is to win titles and I will do my best now to win the Cup title," he concluded. Against Zamalek, the high-spending club Pyramids FC, formerly known as Al-Assiouty Sport, will be playing in its first ever final of any major competition. Zamalek, who seek their sixth cup title in seven seasons, booked their place in the final after Sunday s 1-0 win over Ittihad of Alexandria.

Ahly s newly signed Swiss tactician Rene Weiler has promised to win all titles with the team during the club s press conference introducing the coach. Egyptian champions Ahly announced on Saturday the appointment of Weiler as the club s new coach, holding a press conference on Monday to introduce the team s new boss. Ahly faces Cano Sport on Weiler s birthday The Red Devils are scheduled to face Equatorial Guinea s Cano Sport in the first leg of the 32nd round of the CAF Champions League on 14 September, and the return leg, in Egypt, two weeks later. "The game s date will be on my birthday and it s an appropriate time to introduce myself to the fans," Weiler said. "I am ready to work with the team this afternoon as the next game is after 10 days. I will work to achieve the victory. "We will do our best to win the CAF Champions League title as they have not won it for a long time," he added. Weiler explains his tactics When asked about his tactics during the games, the Swiss tactician affirmed that it depends on the players style and said that he will do his best to achieve the target of every game. "We have to work with all players individually, and I promise all fans that they will be happy, as happiness always comes with victory. "My working system will depend on the players style and qualities, so I will put my plan according to the players quality, so in general we will play with an offensive style to win. "I know well the team s great history and I am happy with the fans support," Weiler added "We will do our best and work every day to achieve positive results." Weiler s first appearance in Africa The 45-year-old Weiler has expressed his happiness to be coaching a big team like Ahly, saying, "It s a chance for me to arrive in Africa to coach a big team." He also affirmed his readiness to lead the team during the coming competitions. "I studied the team before my arrival in Egypt and I did my work as a coach and I am ready to lead the team," Weiler told the press conference. "I ask Ahly fans to continue supporting the team and I am happy with this pressure," he said. Ahly lists reasons of signing Weiler The head of the planning committee at Ahly, Taha Ismail, said Weiler was signed despite there having been negotiations with other experienced tacticians, and asked Ahly fans to support the new coach. "The main reason to sign this coach is his way of dealing with the players as well as his work with the youth team," Ismail told the press conference. "He knows well all the challenges he will face and I ask all Ahly fans to support this coach," Ismail said.

Egypt has topped the final medal table in the 2019 African Games in Morocco on Saturday after obtaining 273 medals, including 102 gold medals. Coming in second is Nigeria with 127 medals, including 46 gold medals, and South Africa which received 87 medals, 36 gold. Algeria ranked fourth after receiving 125 medals, with 33 gold followed by Morocco which received 109 medals, including 31 gold. Tunisia came in the sixth rank with 97 medals, with 26 gold. The African Games are held in four Moroccan cities including Rabat, Casablanca, al-Gadida, Sale and Ben Slimane, featuring the participation of 52 African countries. The tournament is one of the qualifying tournaments for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Ghana will host the upcoming 2023 African Games. The 12th edition of the Africa Games ran from August 18 to August 31. World swimming champion Farida Osman won her fourth medal in the Africa Games followed by her gold medal in butterfly swimming, as well as the silver medal in the 100 meters freestyle. The Egyptian judo team also claimed four gold medals and another four medals in the men s categories, The Nation Online reported. The judo team is led by Ramadan Darwish, a prominent judo competitor who snatched the bronze medal at the World Championship in 2009. Another Egyptian gold medal was seized by Ali Hazem, who beat Tunisia s Mohamed Snoussi. The judo medal event was the first of its kind to be hosted in Morocco s Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex.

Egyptian Football Association announced on Thursday that the semifinal games of Egypt Cup will start on Sunday, as Zamalek meets Ittihad while Petrojet await the winner from Pyramdis FC s match against Haras El-Hodoud. Zamalek booked their seat in the semis after defeating Maqassa 1-0 on Wednesday, to face Ittihad which qualified after beating Ismaily 3-1 last May, on Sunday at 20:00 Cairo local time (GMT+2) at Ismailia stadium, according to a statement published on EFA s official Facebook page. Earlier this month Pyramids defeated Ahly 1-0 in the round of 16 in the postponed game for many times due to Ahly s participation in the African Champions League. Pyramids are scheduled to face Haras El-Hodoud in the quarterfinal of Egypt s Cup on Friday, and the winner will play in the semifinal on Monday against Petrojet at Petrosport stadium on Monday at 20:00 Cairo local time (GMT+2).

Tunisia s Etoile Sportive du Sahel have announced that they have reached an agreement with Egypt s Ahly regarding their AWOL striker Souleymane Coulibaly, without revealing any details. "We have reached an initial agreement with Ahly regarding Souleymane Coulibaly, and we are waiting to continue the legal procedures," read a statement on the club s official Facebook page on Tuesday. In June 2017, Ahly lodged a complaint with FIFA against Coulibaly due to his unauthorised absence, which ended with fining the player $1.436 million. The Tunisian giants are facing an obstacle in signing the Ivorian striker, as Ahly are still owed $450,000 from Coulibaly. The 24-year-old Coulibaly had missed Ahly s training session in May 2017, leaving only a message saying he had flown to London for private reasons. He later said he sought to terminate his contract with Ahly, a request that was rejected by the Cairo giants. Coulibaly, who joined Ahly in the 2016 winter transfer market on a three-and-a-half year deal, scored six league goals in 12 matches in all competitions.

Egyptian club Ittihad of Alexandria got a first leg advantage after beating Alarabi of Kuwait 1-0 away in the Arabian Champions Cup (Mohamed VI Champions Cup) round of 32 on Monday. Striker Khaled Kamar scored the match s only goal from a penalty on minute 49 to boost the coastal side chances ahead of the second leg on 27 September in Alexandria. Ittihad were eliminated from last year s edition after their loss to Saudi Arabia s Al-Hilal in the quarter final.

Equatorial Guinea side Cano Sport will face Egyptian giants and record eight-time winners Ahly in the African Champions League second round after overcoming Ethiopia s Mekelle in the preliminary stage. Cano Sport held Mekelle to a 1-1 away draw in the second leg on Sunday to go through with a 3-2 aggregate win. They will host Ahly in the first leg mid-September while the return leg will take place in Egypt two weeks later. Ahly reached the second round after thumping Atlabara of South Soudan 13-0 on aggregate (4-0 and 9-0). Established in 2014, Cano Sport won the Equatorial Guinean league last season. Meanwhile, Senegalese side Generation foot will face Ahly s Cairo rivals Zamalek in the same round after overcoming LPRC Oilers of Liberia 3-1 on aggregate in the preliminary round. Zamalek went through with an emphatic 13-0 aggregate win, crushing Somalia s Dekadaha 7-0 in the first leg and 6-0 in the second.

Egypt s Zamalek marked the debut of Serbian coach Milutin Micho Sredojevic with a 6-0 victory over Somalia s Dekedaha to complete an emphatic 13-0 aggregate victory and reach the African Champions League second round on Saturday. Striker Mostafa Mohamed and veteran winger Mahmoud Shikabala, a fan favourite who returned to his boyhood club in the summer, scored twice apiece as Zamalek once again toyed with their helpless opponents following a 7-0 first-leg win. Although Zamalek s progress was guaranteed, Micho was restless on the touchline, passionately conveying his instructions as the Cairo giants were slow in the first half. Mostafa, back to Zamalek following a fruitful loan spell at Talae El-Gaish, scored in the first leg and was on target again on Saturday when he chipped the ball over the keeper after a threaded pass from new recruit Achraf Bencharki on 25 minutes. Zamalek wasted several goal-scoring chances to increase their lead in the first half but came out with all guns glazing in the second, with Mostafa making it 2-0 in the 52nd minute with a free far-post header following an inviting cross from left winger Abdallah Gomaa. Shikabala then stole the show, cutting inside his marker to drill a low shot home before adding the fourth with a right-foot volley in the 73rd minute. Central defender Mahmoud Alaa had a penalty saved by the keeper but the referee pointed to the spot again when Bencharki was tripped as he attempted to bury home the rebound. Alaa made no mistake on the second attempt. Defensive midfielder Mahmoud Abdel-Aziz completed the rout five minutes from time with a dipping shot from the edge of the area.

Egyptian Premier League champions Ahly will face an easy mission when they host South Sudanese side Atlabara at Alexandria s Borg El-Arab Stadium in the second leg of the CAF Champions League on Friday, as the first leg of the preliminary round finished with 4-0 for the Red Devils two weeks ago. The Cairo giants kicked off their bid to win the African Champions League for the first time since 2013 with an easy 4-0 win over Atlabara in the first leg of the preliminary round.

Contracting a new coach for the national football team has been established as a priority, according to Amr El-Ganainy, head of the normalisation committee at the Egyptian Football Association (EFA). El-Ganainy promised Egyptian football was set to be back on the right track. The statement was one of El-Ganainy s earliest since he had been appointed head of the normalisation committee, formed on Tuesday night upon FIFA directives for the new committee to function until the upcoming elections. “The necessity of changing the regulations of the statute – in force since 2011 -- was FIFA s top priority while assigning the temporary committee to moderate the association,” El-Ganainy told Nile Sports TV Channel. FIFA s decision comes on the heels of the resignation of the EFA President Hany Abo Rida and board members after the national team s unceremonious exit from the Africa Cup of Nations, held in Egypt, in the 16th round in July. The EFA was then temporarily managed by its Chief Executive Tharwat Sewilam, during which time a FIFA mission visited Cairo. “We also want to use the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the Egyptian Premier League. We know the feature is costly, but we are currently looking for a sponsor,” El-Ganainy said. Despite being a former Zamalek Club board member, El-Ganainy said he would stand at an equal distance from all football clubs, “be it Ahly, Zamalek, or any other club.” Before its resignation, the EFA board sacked coach Javier Aguirre of the national team after the early elimination from the Africa Cup of Nations. The coach s bench remains vacant. “Hiring a new coach for the national team is one of the normalisation committee s top priorities. We are aiming for a top-level coach who can lead the Pharaohs in the coming period,” El-Ganainy added.

Zamalek held a press conference on Tuesday unveiling their new Serbian coach Milutin Micho Sredojevic, revealing the details of the deal. On Monday, the 49-year-old Micho signed the contract with Zamalek, but the club had not disclosed any details. "Micho signed a one-season contract for $1.2 million. The contract includes a release clause stipulating a compensation worth two months of the coach s salary," said club chairman Mortada Mansour. The coaching job has been vacant in Zamalek since the sacking of coach Khaled Galal over a 1-0 loss to rivals Ahly in the Cairo Derby, and the loss of the Egyptian Premier League title. "I m very delighted to lead Zamalek. I have worked in coaching in the African continent since 2001. I always try to perform well and achieve positive results where I work," the new Zamalek coach told the press conference. "I will be assisted by two Serbian coaches, one of them is for the goalkeepers." "I will offer my best performance to Zamalek, and the players high quality will help me. With spirit, determination and commitment I can achieve everything. I would like to thank Orlando Pirates, but coaching Zamalek is a dream for anyone," he added. The Serbian coach won the Ugandan Premier League three times in 2002, 2003, and 2004 upon taking charge for Villa SC. This was before winning the Ethiopian League title four times while taking charge of Saint-George SA from 2005 to 2010. The former Rwanda and Uganda coach also won the Sudanese league title once in 2010 with Al-Hilal Omdurman. Under Micho s guidance, Orlando Pirates ended the domestic league in second place last season to ensure a place in the African Champions League; marking their first appearance since losing the final to Egypt s Ahly in 2013. Under temporary coach Tarek Yehia, Zamalek kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 7-0 hammering of Somalia s Dekedaha in the first leg of the preliminary round on Friday.