A double from Ahmed Yasser gave Masry an easy 3-1 home victory over Zanzibar s Malindi and a place in the CAF Confederation Cup playoff on Sunday. Masry advanced with a comprehensive 7-2 aggregate victory over their lowly opponents. Yasser needed four minutes to put the aggregate result beyond doubt, volleying home at the far post following a superb cross. Ibrahim Aly brought Malindi level with a bullet header in the 33rd minute but Yasser struck again 10 minutes into the second half to make it 2-1. Nigerian forwar Austin Amutu put the icing on the cake with a 60th-minute goal. Masry will face one of the teams that exited the African Champions League in the next round for a place in the Confederation Cup group stage.

Liverpool midfielder James Milner can be the ideal role model for the club s young players after the 33-year-old shepherded them to a 2-0 League Cup win at MK Dons on Wednesday, manager Juergen Klopp has said. Milner opened the scoring against the League One (third-tier) side for his first goal in the competition since 2010 and set up another for 17-year-old Dutchman Ki-Jana Hoever to draw praise from Klopp. "This man is on fire, that s how it is. It helps a lot. He s a real role model for young players. If he could play every day, Millie would be like this every day... absolutely brilliant," Klopp told a news conference. "The most experienced and the player with the most rhythm was the best player on the pitch -- Millie was pretty obvious... it s so important that we still do these games, that we are brave enough to use the boys. "We re not here with this line-up because we don t respect the competition, we are here to win the game, no other reason." Liverpool set up a clash with Arsenal in the fourth round and Klopp, who named four teenagers in his starting side, said youngsters would continue to get more opportunities. "They all have the right environment so we will improve that environment as well, we will bring in more manpower there that we can really take care of these boys more," Klopp added. Milner welcomed the competition for places. "When you look at how good our squad is, it s not easy for the youngsters to get to the level they need to be, but they ve shown they want to get better," Milner said. "Everyone is pushing and that s what the senior boys need: competition for places."

Ahly duo Walid Azaro, and Mohamed Mahmoud have recovered from injuries and are ready to participate in Wednesday s training, according to the club s official website. The 24-year-old Moroccan striker Azaro underwent a rehabilitation programme after suffering from a knee injury during his participation with his national team in a recent international break, and he will be compensating with Ahly for the absence of striker Marwan Mohsen due to injury. Mohamed Mahmoud suffered a critical ligament surgery on 8 January in Smouha s game in the 15th round of 2018-2019 Egyptian Premier League, where he was substituted in the 57th minute of the game. The 21-year-old midfielder joined Ahly in January from Wadi Degla, and played only two games before his injury. Ahly will continue their fight for the ninth CAF Champions League title on Saturday, as the Cairo giants will host Equatorial Guinea s Cano Sport in the second leg of the 32nd round of the African clubs tournament. The first leg match ended with Ahly s 2-0 victory. "Yes, we won in Equatorial Guinea, but this doesn t mean that we have already qualified. Ahly always respect their counterpart and play each game as if it s the most important game of the season," Ahly s assistant coach Samy Komsan told the club s official website. "Winning the Egypt Super Cup and gaining the first three points in the Egyptian Premier League after defeating Smouha gave the team a positive push ahead of the new season," Komsan said.

An early goal from promising striker Mostafa Mohamed was enough for nervy Zamalek to beat Ittihad of Alexandria 1-0 in Cairo on Monday to secure a winning start to their league campaign. Serbian coach Milutin Sredojevic "Micho" made six changes to the team that lost to Ahly at the weekend, leaving out several regular starters including captain Mahmoud "Shikabala" Abdel-Razeq, Achraf Bencharki, Youssef "Obama" Ibrahim and suspended Tarek Hamed Zamalek got off to a flying start when Mohamed latched onto a long pass from Ahmed "Zizo" El-Sayed to send a left-footed shot in off the far post in the fifth minute. A few minutes later Ittihad keeper was forced to make a superb stretch to deny Hamdi Nagguez s free kick. The Whites lost their rhythm after the opening 15 minutes allowing Ittihad to push forward seeking the equalizer. They had their best chances when Uganda striker Emmanuel Okwi slipped past his marker but his close range shot was denied by a fine tackle from Mahmoud Alaa before Khaled Kamar s free kick was easily held by keeper Mohamed Awad. The Alexandrian side upped their game after the interval and gained control of play but failed to create any real threat on the hosts keeper. Zamalek sat back on defence and relied on counter-attacks that became rare as the clock was ticking. Micho introduced Obama, Omar El-Said and Mohamed Abdel-Shafi in an attempt to turn around his fortunes but the team struggled to make an impact. Ittihad came close to an equalizer in the 80th minute as El-Sayed Salem s cross found Okwi unmarked in the area but his header went easily in the hands of the keeper. The visitors also claimed a late penalty as Alaa denied Kamar s powerful shot from inside the box but the referee waved play on.

Ahly, fresh from an impressive 3-2 Super Cup victory over Zamalek, launch their bid to win the Egyptian Premier League for the fifth straight season against Smouha in Alexandria on Monday. The Red Devils produced a brilliant attacking display in their second match under Swiss coach Rene Weiler to outclass their perennial challengers in the season curtain-raiser on Friday, sending an early statement of intent. Last season, they managed to bridge an eight-point gap to deprive Zamalek of their first league title since 2015 and maintain their dominance of the premier domestic competition, which they won a staggering 41 times. Ahly can take heart from the superb display of Nigerian forward Junior Ajayi against Zamalek as he scored twice and proved a handful with his moves, turns and unique ability to keep the ball under control. Hamdi Fathi is also coming across as a solid defensive midfielder, replacing ageing skipper Hossam Ashour who is way past his prime. With Ahly also signing another midfielder in Malian Aliou Dieng, playmaker Magdi Afsha and central defender Mahmoud Metwalli, they look well-equipped to defend their title. "We are now fully focused on the league campaign. The new technical staff arrived just two weeks ago but we are fully ready," Ashour, a long-serving midfielder, said following the win over Zamalek.

Ahly chairman Mahmoud El-Khatib said on Saturday the team s management will do their best to achieve the fans domestic and continental ambitions this season. On Friday evening, Ahly downed Zamalek 3-2 following an exciting duel at Alexandria s Borg El-Arab Stadium, winning their 11th Egyptian Super Cup. "Winning a trophy ahead of the new season entails that a big responsibility will be shouldered by the club in the coming games to claim more victories and trophies," El-Khatib was quoted as saying on the Ahly website after the game. "We are working to please Ahly s fans and make their domestic and continental ambitions come true." On Monday, Ahly, last year s Egyptian League champions, will kick off their title-defending bid in the new season against Smouha. Ahly also moved closer to a place in the African Champions League group stage after second-half goals from two substitutes powered them to a 2-0 away win over Equatorial Guinea s Cano Sport. Ahly, the eight-times Africa champion, has failed to win any continental title since winning the Africa Confederation Cup in 2014.

German referee Felix Brych will officiate Friday s domestic Super Cup game between Cairo rivals Ahly and Zamalek in Alexandria, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said on Wednesday. Brych will be joined by assistants Mark Borsch and Stefan Lupp, the EFA said in a statement. The 44-year-old is no stranger to Egyptian football, having officiated Ahly s loss to Haras El-Hodoud in the 2010 Egypt Cup final and Zamalek s win over Al-Hilal in the Egyptian-Saudi Super Cup last year. He was in charge of some high-profile matches in European football, including the 2014 Europa League final between Sevilla and Benfica and the 2017 Champions League final between Juventus and Real Madrid. Brych was also the referee of Tuesday s Champions League game between Liverpool and Napoli, which the Italian side won 2-0 in the opening match of the group stage. Ahly are the record winners of the Super Cup with 10 titles, seven clear of Zamalek.

Liverpool opened its Champions League title defense with a 2-0 loss at Napoli on Tuesday _ the latest chapter in what is becoming an intense rivalry between the two attack-minded clubs after also meeting in last season s group phase. Dries Mertens converted a penalty eight minutes from the end of an entertaining match after a foul by Andy Robertson on Jose Callejon. Substitute Fernando Llorente then sealed it in stoppage time _ a measure of revenge after playing on the Tottenham side that lost last season s final to Liverpool. Last season, Napoli also beat Liverpool 1-0 at home before the English side won by the same score in England _ denying Napoli a place in the knockout rounds. Napoli and Salzburg, which routed Genk 6-2, took the early lead in Group E. The atmosphere inside the newly renovated Stadio San Paolo was electric from the start as both sides attacked relentlessly from the opening whistle. Napoli countered Liverpool s established attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane with a lineup featuring four forwards: Lorenzo Insigne and Jose Callejon on the wings surrounding Dries Mertens and Hirving Lozano. Salah was on full sprint from kickoff but couldn t find a way past Napoli s center back Kalidou Koulibaly. Liverpool goalkeeper Adrian _ in his Champions League debut _ denied Fabian Ruiz twice in one action before Lozano headed the second rebound into the net only to be whistled offside. As dazzling as the offensive display was, the defense was just as impressive. Joel Matip lunged to head away a cross intended for Lozano that seemed a sure goal then Ruiz sprinted back at the other end to intercept what would have been a tap-in for Salah. The frantic pace continued, with Firmino heading just wide of the far post from a corner in the 44th. Possession in the first half was split exactly 50-50. The fireworks continued immediately after the break when Adrian hung in the air to deny a volley from Mertens with one hand at the far post. There was a rare defensive mistake when Kostas Manolas gifted the ball to Salah in a great position but Napoli goalkeeper Alex Meret extended to glove the Egypt international s shot wide. It was only in the last 15 minutes that the pace slowed, with both teams visibly exhausted on a warm evening. Then Napoli found the breakthrough after Robertson was adjudged to have tripped Callejon in the area. Adrian lunged to his left and got a hand on Mertens penalty but couldn t stop it. In the final minutes, Napoli fans whistled so loud every time Liverpool had possession it was deafening, and it seemed to have an effect when Virgil van Dijk gifted the ball to Llorente, who rolled it past Adrian with ease.

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.