Cairo International Stadium is set to host the CAF Champions League semi final matches of Egyptian giants Ahly and Zamalek, Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhi revealed on Sunday. Ahly and archrivals Zamalek reached the semi final of the prestigious continental tournament after passing South Africa s Mamelodi Sundowns and Tunisia s Esperance respectively in the quarters a few days ago. The 74,100-capacity stadium already hosted both confrontations of Ahly and Zamalek of the quarters amid the presence of 30,000 supporters for each team, but it is set to be closed next month for some renovations. "The ministry is currently in negotiations with the English company responsible for stadium renovations to postpone re-laying the summer grass until playing the Ahly and Zamalek matches in the Champions league semis," Minister Sobhi told On Time sport TV channel on Sunday night. The record eight-time African Champions Ahly will be facing Wydad Casablanca of Morocco in the semis, while Zamalek, who reached the final in 2016 before losing to South Africa s Mamelodi Sundowns, will meet Moroccan side Raja. "It is a great pleasure to see Cairo s stadium hosting big tournaments. We will do our best to end the negotiations successfully through this week especially amid the concrete cooperation from the English company," the minister added. The first leg matches of the Champions League semi final are due to be played on 1 or 2 May in Morocco, while the return matches will be played on 8 or 9 May in Egypt.

Egyptian giants Ahly got a taste of revenge as they held Mamelodi Sundowns to a 1-1 draw in Pretoria on Saturday to reach the semi-finals of the African Champions League on a 3-1 aggregate win. The record eight-time African Champions managed to eliminate the team that humiliated them last year in the same round with a historic 5-0 win, Ahly s worst ever African defeat, in Pretoria. Lebohang Maboe scored in his own net in the 21st minute before Uruguayan forward Gaston Sirino gave Sundowns a glimmer of hope in the 26th minute, but that wasn t enough for them to get anything out of the tie. Ahly will now face the winner of Wydad Casablanca of Morocco and Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia, who play later on Saturday. Wydad hold a 2-0 first leg advantage. Coach Rene Weiler adopted a more cautious approach as he opted for a 4-3-3 formation instead of his usual 4-2-3-1 scheme, with Mahmoud Metwalli playing as a deep holding midfielder in front of his defence. The South Africans could have gone ahead as early as the fourth minute when Sirino played a quick free kick to the unmarked Nascimento in the area but Ahly s keeper Mohamed El Shennawy rushed out of his goal to deny a clear chance. After this early threat, the Red Devils gained control of the game with Geraldo, Ali Maaloul and Badji making some attempts on target. They finally got what they deserved in the 21st minute when a free kick from the right side was deflected by Maboe into his own net. However, Ahly could only defend their lead for five minutes as Nascimento sent a long pass to Zwane, who evaded his markers, only to be denied by El Shennawi from inside the box but the rebound fell to Sirino, who made no mistake in front of an empty net. Sundowns mounted their pressure and Shennawy once again came to the rescue to deny Vilakaze s header from inside the box. Ahly could have ended this half upfront as Amr El Sulaya dispossessed Madisha and went clear on target to set up Aliou Badji in the box but he was too sluggish and his attempt was foiled. Coach Pisto Mosimane made two quick substitutions to increase his firepower as he brought in Tebego Langerman and Phakamani Mahlambi after the interval. However, Ahly s compact defence contained Sundowns forwards, who had to resort to long range shots that were no trouble for keeper El Shennawy. As they pressed forward, the South Africans left acres of spaces at the back and second half substitutes Hussein El Shahat and Mohamed Hani had a couple of chances to claim a late winner but they lacked imagination in the final third to end the game in a draw.

Tunisian authorities will release the tickets of Friday s African Champions League clash between Zamalek and Esperance on Thursday after a brief delay, the hosts said. The tickets will be released with a probability of decreasing the number of fans attending the game owing to fears over the spread of coronavirus, especially after Tunisia declared that there are infected cases, according to local media reports. Tunisian media stated that the Ministry of Health advised against playing the game in the presence of fans during a scientific conference held on Wednesday. Zamalek travelled to Tunisia ahead of their game against Esperance in the second-leg match of the African Champions League quarterfinal. The Whites won the first-leg match at home 3-1 last Friday. Esperance, who won the latest two editions of the African Champions League, were defeated twice by Zamalek in the last three weeks with the same result, 3-1. The first game was the African Super Cup, which took place in Qatar last month.

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced Wednesday that a specialised committee will examine appeals filed by Ahly and Zamalek against penalties imposed on the teams following the controversial Egyptian Super Cup played in the UAE. EFA sanctioned the Cairo giants with fines and banned some players unsportsman-like behaviour after the Super Cup game 20 February. "Zamalek have appealed to EFA against the penalties imposed on some of their players and officials because of the incidents that happened after the Super Cup game, as did Ahly," read a statement on EFA s official Facebook page. EFA revealed that both teams filed appeals after viewing video material of the events. "The appeals are to be submitted to the EFA Appeals Committee at a meeting whose date has not yet been determined, and the two clubs paid the appeals fees," EFA s statement concluded. According to the sanctions announced by EFA, Ahly players Mahmoud Kahraba, Zamalek’s Emam Ashour and official Ahmed Zaher have all been suspended until the end of the ongoing season with a fine of EGP100,000 each. Zamalek winger Shikabala was suspended for eight games with a fine of EGP100,000. Zamalek player Abdalla Gomaa was suspended for three games with a fine of EGP50,000. Ahly players Yasser Ibrahim and Junior Ajayi were suspended for two games with a fine of EGP 50,000 each. Ahly and Zamalek clubs were separately fined EGP100,000 each.

Ahly medical staff said Monday that Nigerian winger Junior Ajayi, Tunisian left-back Ali Maaloul and veteran right-back Ahmed Fathi are fit for the game against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday. The trio of key players acquired minor injuries after Ahly’s comfortable 2-0 first-leg win against the Sundowns in the African Champions League quarterfinal on Saturday. Ahly crew arrived in South Africa on Monday as part of preparations for the second leg game, and the medical staff confirmed the availability of the trio for the clash. "Ajayi is fit for the game against the Mamelodi Sundowns after he suffered from a muscle problem as he trained in the gym before traveling to South Africa," Ahly s medical staff said in a statement on the club s website. "The team s doctor has implemented a special medical programme to prepare Ali Maaloul for the game after the latter suffered from a minor muscle problem," the statement added. "Maaloul will undergo a rehab programme ahead of the game. "Ahmed Fathi will undergo medical tests during trainings in South Africa after sustaining a minor knock during the first leg game,” the statement added. The Sundowns will host Ahly in the second leg of the quarterfinals at Pretoria on Saturday.

The hopes of Egyptian side Masry to reach the African Confederation Cup last four were dealt a blow after they were held to a 2-2 home draw by RS Berkane on Sunday, with veteran forward Mouhssine Iajour scoring twice for the Moroccans. Berkane stunned the home crowd in Suez when Iajour opened the scoring on the stroke of halftime, sliding in at the near post to convert a low cross past the keeper. However, Masry overturned the deficit in the second half and looked on course for a narrow yet valuable win. Libyan midfielder Muftah Taktak drilled home from inside the area after some good work from Palestinian striker Mahmoud Wadi one minute after the restart. In the 61st minute, Masry went ahead via an own goal from Berkane keeper Zouheir Laaroubi after a scrappy effort. However, Iajour ensured Berkane would have a clear advantage in the second leg, cutting ahead of the keeper at the near post to head home a corner and level the score with eight minutes remaining. The disappointing draw has also spoiled the debut of Masry coach Tarek El-Ashri, who took over after a string of poor results in the domestic league led to the dismissal of Ihab Galal. Masry will need to win away from home or secure a high-scoring draw in next week s second leg in Morocco if they are to reach the semi-final.

Ali Maaloul scored a double and Nigerian forward Junior Ajayi produced an inspired display as Egypt s Ahly gained a comfortable first-leg advantage at the expense of South Africa s Mamelodi Sundowns in the African Champions League quarterfinal on Saturday. After a turgid first-half ended goalless at Cairo Stadium, Ahly came on with all guns blazing in the second, with Ajayi putting on a man-of-the-match performance to unlock what has been a watertight defence as Sundowns tasted their first defeat in the competition this season. He fed the overlapping Maaloul for the much-needed opener 11 minutes after the restart before sending another astute pass to substitute Aliou Badji, who was tripped as he shaped to shoot, with the referee pointing to the spot. Lively Tunisian left-back Maaloul fired the resulting penalty into the roof of the net, sending the passionate home fans into raptures as Ahly went some way towards erasing the painful memories of their 5-0 first-leg drubbing at the hands of Sundowns at the same stage last season. The Red Devils will now be firm favorites to reach the semis as they chase their first crown since winning the last of their record eight Champions League trophies in 2013. The second leg will take place in Pretoria next Saturday. Cagey half Sundowns defended in numbers in a cagey first half, a strategy which proved efficient as Ahly were restricted to some tame opportunities and half-chances. The visitors could have even taken a shock lead inside the first minute when Lebohang Maboe ghosted behind the defence to connect with a diagonal right-wing cross, but his weak effort went straight into the hands of keeper Mohamed El-Shennawi. Ahly dominated possession but found it hard to break a well-drilled backline. Lone striker Marwan Mohsen had a glancing header that narrowly missed the target though and hit the side netting with a back-heel effort on the stroke of halftime. Ahly had a strong penalty appeal turned down by the referee before the break when Hlompho Kekana caught Magdi Afsha with a high challenge. But the hosts made amends in the 57th minute when Maaloul s angled shot went past the despairing hands of keeper Denis Onyango, thanks to a pass on the turn from Ajayi. Maaloul then emphatically netted from the spot in the 68th minute as Ahly ran out worthy winners.

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) revealed on Wednesday its sanctions against Zamalek after the club s no show in the Cairo derby on Monday. "Following the incidents of the Cairo derby, Ahly are considered the game s winner with a result of 2-0," read a statement on the EFA s official website on Wednesday. "Zamalek were handed a three-point deduction from his final result at the end of the season, and the club is ordered to pay an EGP 200,000 fine," the statement added. Zamalek are now third on the league table with 31 points, just one point behind second placed Arab Contractors, who played one match more and are 17 points behind leaders Ahly. The Cairo derby was called-off after the absence of Zamalek players at the Cairo stadium where the derby was scheduled to take place. Zamalek claimed that the team failed to reach the stadium due to traffic caused by heavy rains in the Egyptian capital on Monday. The referee whistled the start of the game at 20:30 in the presence of Ahly, who were on the field on time, and waited for 20 minutes, in accordance with game regulations, before the match was called off. On Sunday, the Zamalek board decided to forfeit the league games in protest against the Egyptian Football Association’s (EFA) sanctions imposed following the Super Cup brawl last Thursday. Zamalek s president Mortada Mansour said the club will no longer compete in the domestic league under the supervision of this interim board. Several Ahly and Zamalek players and officials were hit with heavy sanctions following a bust-up between the two teams at the end of the game that saw Zamalek claim their fourth Super Cup title following a penalty shootout victory.

Sundowns coach Pitso Mosimane admitted that he side s game against Ahly in Cairo would be difficult, asking his players to be calm during the tough clash and to settle the duel in the second leg at home. Ahly will host the South African side in the first-leg of the Champions League quarter-finals at Cairo stadium on Saturday, before heading to Pretoria for the second leg one week later. "If you keep it quiet (in Egypt), you know what is going to happen here. Just keep it quiet, and go with it,” Mosimane told South African newspaper Sunday independent on Tuesday. “If you concede, don’t concede more than one. That’s the whole thing." The 55-year-old said that his side s away results have improved this term in comparison to the past years. "As much as we haven’t been good travellers in the Champions League, this year we have improved," he added. "We got a draw in (Morocco against) Wydad Casablanca, and we always lose there. "We got a win in USM Alger and Wydad lost there. It’s not easy in Algeria. This year we have improved with our results. It’s a tough game, it’s going to be physical and you need to be smart with the fouls." Sundowns eliminated Ahly from the same round last term after humiliating the Cairo giants 5-0 in the first leg in Pretoria, before losing 1-0 in the second leg in Egypt to reach the semis with a comprehensive 5-1 aggregate win.

The Egyptian Premier League clash between Ahly and Zamalek was called off after the Whites didn t show up at the Cairo International Stadium on Monday. The game was scheduled to start at 19:30 Cairo local time but was postponed for an hour as the Whites were reportedly stuck in traffic due to heavy rains in the Egyptian capital. The referee whistled the start of the game at 20:30 in the presence of Ahly, who were in the field on time, and waited for 20 minutes, according to game regulations, before the match was called off. On Sunday the Zamalek board decided to forfeit the league games in protest against the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) sanctions imposed following the Super Cup brawl last Thursday. Several Ahly and Zamalek players and officials were hit by heavy sanctions following a bust-up between the two teams at the end of the game that saw Zamalek claim their fourth Super Cup title following a penalty shootout victory. Zamalek president backtracked on his decision and a youthful Zamalek side were reportedly on their way to Cairo stadium but were stuck in traffic. "We are sorry for this scene and we will apply the regulations. After coordinating with the security forces we were informed that there were no obstacles preventing both teams buses from arriving at the stadium," the EFA said following the game. According to the EFA regulations, Ahly will be announced winners of the game and six points will be deducted from Zamalek at the end of the season.

announced on Sunday that they will not complete the current season of the Egyptian Premier League in protest against the recent sanctions imposed by the country s football association over unrest in the recent Super Cup match. Zamalek s announcement comes just hours ahead of Monday s anticipated league derby, where Ahly is supposed to face Zamalek in a postponed game from the domestic competition. "The board decided not to complete the Egyptian league as long as the current illegal interim board headed by Amr El-Ganainy persists," reads a short statement on Zamalek s official website. Late on Saturday, the Egyptian Football Association’s (EFA) disciplinary committee announced heavy sanctions on Ahly and Zamalek after misconduct during the Super Cup game between the two sides in the UAE on Thursday. Zamalek defeated arch rivals Ahly in the Egyptian Super Cup with a 4-3 shootout victory following a 0-0 draw in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. Zamalek president Mortada Mansour has also been included in the punishment list, being suspended from participating in any football activities for three games alongside a fine of EGP 200,000. Mansour, who didn t attend the Super Cup match, reacted angrily to the EFA sanctions, insisting earlier on Sunday that his club will no longer compete in the domestic league under the supervision of this interim board. Back in August, FIFA announced appointing a normalisation committee for the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) headed by Zamalek s former board member Amr El-Ganainy until the upcoming elections. The decision of the world football governing body followed the resignation of the EFA president Hany Abo Rida and all board members after the national team s unceremonious exit from the African Cup of Nations in the round of 16 at home last July. FIFA said at the time that 31 July 2020 is the deadline of the work of the committee, which can also finish the mission earlier if it fulfils all its tasks. Regarding Monday s derby, Ahly confirmed their attendance at Cairo s international stadium on time for the Zamalek match despite their decision to escalate the EFA sanctions to FIFA.

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) disciplinary committee has announced more sanctions on Ahly and Zamalek after misconduct during the Super Cup game between the two sides in the UAE. "Ahly players Mahmoud Kahraba, Zamalek starlet Emam Ashour and official Ahmed Zaher have all been suspended until the end of the ongoing season with a fine of EGP 100,000 for each," EFA said in a statement late Saturday. "Zamalek winger Mahmoud Shikabala has been suspended for eight games with a fine of EGP 100,000. Zamalek player Abdalla Gomaa has been suspended for three games with a fine of EGP 50,000," the statement added. "Ahly players Yasser Ibrahim and Junior Ajayi have been suspended for two games with a fine of EGP 50,000 each, alongside fining Ahly and Zamalek clubs EGP 100,000." "Zamalek president Mortada Mansour has been suspended from participating in any football activities for three games alongside a fine of EGP 200,000,” EFA said. Zamalek defeated Cairo arch rivals Ahly in the Egyptian Super Cup with a 4-3 shootout victory following a 0-0 draw in Abu Dhabi Thursday. After the game, Zamalek players celebrated the trophy in front of the Ahly fan seats, showing little to no respect for rival supporters. The Whites’ skipper Mahmoud Shikabala was pictured behaving badly. Ahly fans chanted against him after the game in response to his behaviour. Ahly players went to Zamalek players to stop them from harassing club fans, which caused unrest in the field after the game. The two sides will meet again Monday in a postponed game from the Egyptian Premier League.

Cairo giants Ahly and Zamalek will face off in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, where both sides will be chasing the Egyptian Super Cup title. Egypt champions Ahly are looking to confirm their superiority against archrival Zamalek, while Cup winners Zamalek will seek revenge against Ahly and are looking for another title this week after clinching the CAF Super Cup title at the expense of Champions League winners Esperance de Tunis on Friday. Ahly are the record winners of the Egyptian Super Cup with 11 titles, while Zamalek are looking for the fourth Super Cup title in their history. Even with a former Ahly coach and a recent CAF Super Cup title, Zamalek will not need reminding of the haunting memories of last September when they lost 2-3 to Ahly in the Egyptian Super Cup in Cairo. The White Knights, who were favoured to win the game, slumped to a 2-3 defeat in a match completely dominated by their rivals. This defeat was one of the reasons that cost the former team s coach Milutin Sredojevic his post, and he lost his job as Zamalek manager one month later. Current coach Patrice Carteron, who is a former Ahly boss, will be looking to avoid the scenario of his predecessor and guide his side to victory in the Egyptian Super Cup. The Frenchman was praised after directing a tactical game that helped his side win the CAF Super Cup title against Esperance, the winners of the two previous editions of the Champions League. The White Knights fans are waiting for a similar performance against Ahly. "I m proud of the African Super Cup title, which was reached after a long time, and I hope we win more titles in the future," Carteron told the pre-match news conference on Wednesday. "The Zamalek and Ahly players know each other well, and have faced each other on many occasions in the league and the cup. Their games are always a completely different situation," the Frenchman said when asked if his previous knowledge of Ahly players will be an advantage for his side. It is likely that the Frenchman will keep the same team that played against Esperance, especially with the good performance of players like Moroccan forward Achraf Bencharki, who hit a brace against the Tunisian side, and Ahmed Sayed. On the other hand, Ahly, who are the favourite to win the game after their good displays in the Egyptian league, will be looking to win the title that will give the team a huge morale boost ahead of their Champions League clash against Sundowns of South Africa. Ahly extended their unbeaten run in the Egyptian league this season to 15 games, and a win against rivals Zamalek will be much needed to confirm the superiority of the team. Classy winger Ramadan Sobhi will not be available for Thursday s clash, as he is yet to recover from a hamstring injury. Reports said that he is fit for the game but Ahly s coach confirmed on Wednesday that the player will not participate. Sobhi s absence will not be a huge loss, however, especially given that he has been out of action for around two months and the team has produced many fine displays despite his absence. Coach Rene Weiler confirmed that the game will be difficult for both sides, denying any advantages of his side. But Ahly fans are optimistic for their coach, who led the team to beating Zamalek in the previous Super Cup in his first local appearance with Ahly. "The Super Cup match against Zamalek is a very important game and it is totally different than other matches in the Egyptian League and the African Champions League," Weiler said in the pre-match press conference on Wednesday. "With my full respect to Zamalek coach Carteron, I am dealing with the opponent as a whole team, not only a coach or players. Ahly has prepared well for this match and can win. "The confrontation with Zamalek this time is completely different than the one last year, and every match has its own preparations," he concluded.

Ahly coach Rene Weiler believes that Thursday s anticipated Super Cup match against archrivals Zamalek is totally different than other confrontations in other competitions, adding that key star Ramadan Sobhi won t be available for the match. The Egyptian Premier League title holders Ahly will face Egypt Cup winners Zamalek in the Super Cup on Thursday at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in the United Arab Emirates. "The super Cup match against Zamalek is a very important game and it is totally different than other matches in the Egyptian League and the African Champions League," Weiler said in the pre-match press conference on Wednesday morning. "With my full respect to Zamalek coach Carteron, I am dealing with the opponent as a whole team not only a coach or players. Ahly prepared well for this match and can win. I can t reveal the starting line up, but I will include the best eleven to start and other best seven substitutes in the final squad," he added. Afsha ready, Sobhi out Ahly s in-form winger Ramadan Sobhi has been doubtful for the match despite recovering from a hamstring strain that sidelined him since last December, but Weiler confirmed the absence of his key player. "Playmaker Mohamed Afsha Magdy is ready for the match, but Sobhi won t be available as he isn t fully fit despite his recent participation in trainings," the Swiss coach explained. A different Super Cup test Just days after taking the charge of the Reds, the 46-year old Weiler was lucky enough after guiding the team to beat Zamalek and win the last Super Cup title {of the 2018-2019 season}. The match was played on 20 September 2019 at Alexandria s Borg El-Arab stadium. Despite playing this time away in UAE, Weiler isn t worried about his team. "The confrontations this time with Zamalek is completely different than the previous one last year and every match has its own preparations," he said. "It is like playing at home when we play in UAE. Generally our opponents who face us away do good efforts and so do we. We prepare well for every match," the Ahly coach concluded. At the domestic level, champions Ahly currently lead the Egyptian Premier League table with 45 points from 15 matches, while Zamalek lie third with 31 points. Ahly is supposed to face Zamalek for the second time in just a week in the Egyptian league derby next Monday.

Malian midfielder Aliuo Dieng has promised the Reds fans that he will do his best to help the team defeat Zamalek in the Egyptian Super Cup, which is scheduled for Thursday in the United Arab Emirates. "We promise Ahly fans in Egypt, the UAE, and everywhere that we will do our best to defeat Zamalek in the Super Cup," the 22-year-old midfielder told Ahly’s official website. "I m pleased with the confidence displayed by Ahly fans and their solid support for me and my teammates, which makes us fight in each and every game to achieve victories," he added. Ahly’s mission arrived in Abu Dhabi on Monday, and will hold their first training session later on Tuesday in preparation for the Super Cup game against Zamalek, which will take place at the Mohamed Bin Zayed Stadium. Dieng joined Ahly in the last summer transfer window coming from MC Algiers, appearing in 17 matches, scoring two goals and providing two goals. Ahly, who are leading the Egyptian Premier League now with 45 points, qualified to the Egyptian Super Cup as Premier League champions of the previous edition of the competition, while Zamalek, who are in third place with 31 points, qualified after winning the 2019 Egypt Cup.

Ahly winger Ramadan Sobhi has been included in the Red Devils’ squad for the game against Zamalek in the Egyptian Super Cup game after recovering from a hamstring strain. The Egyptian Premier League title holders Ahly will face Egypt Cup winners Zamalek in the Super Cup on Thursday at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in the United Arab Emirates. The in-form Sobhi, who plays for Ahly on loan from English side Huddersfield Town, picked up a hamstring strain during training last December and missed most of the team s games since suffering the injury. The 22-year-old Sobhi, who came from Ahly s youth ranks, is a key player in coach Rene Weiler s lineup, bringing much-needed strength and creativity to the frontline. Meanwhile, striker Ahmed El-Sheikh has also been included in the team s squad for the Zamalek game after he missed Ahly s two games. Ahly s 24-man squad: Goalkeepers: Mohamed El-Shennawi, Sherif Ekrami, Ali Lotfi Defenders: Rami Rabia, Ayman Ashraf, Yasser Ibrahim, Mohamed Hani, Ahmed Fathi, Ali Maaloul, Mahmoud Metwaly, Mahmoud Wahid Midfielders: Hossam Ashour, Amr El-Sulaya, Hussein El-Shahat, Mahmoud Kahraba, Walid Soliman, Mohamed "Afsha" Magdi, Aliou Dieng, Geraldo da Costa, Ramdan Sobhi, Ahmed El-Sheikh Strikers: Junior Ajayi, Marwan Mohsen and Aliou Badji.

After missing the 3-0 win over Masry in the Egyptian Premier League on Friday, Ahly attacking midfielder Mohamed "Afsha" Magdi has been cleared fit for the crunch showdown against Zamalek in the Egyptian Super Cup on Thursday. "Afsha is medically fit for the game against Zamalek while his participation in the game is for the team s technical staff to decide," read a statement on the club s official website Sunday. "The player suffered from minor knee pain, so Ahly s coach decided not to include the player in the team s squad for the league game against Masry," the statement added. The midfield maestro, Afsha, played an instrumental role in the Ahly squad since the arrival of Swiss coach Rene Weiler as he helped the team to cement its driving seat position in the domestic league with full marks at 45 points after playing 15 games so far this season. The 23-year-old caught attention with some fine displays with Ahly since joining the team in the last summer transfer window, coming from Egyptian side Pyramids FC. Afsha made 19 appearances with Ahly this season in all competitions, scoring five goals and providing eight assists. The Egyptian Premier League title holders will face Egypt Cup winners Zamalek in the Super Cup Thursday at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in the UAE.

Maqassa s new Nigerian coach Emmanuel Amunike says he has big ambitions to achieve with the Egyptian Premier League club, insisting that his players only need some confidence to return back to winning ways. "I agreed a one-and-a-half-year contract with Maqassa to build a strong team with young players in the coming period," Amunike said in an interview with Al-Ahram Al-Riyadi magazine published on Wednesday. Earlier in February, struggling side Maqassa named Zamalek s great and former African player of the year Amunike as their new coach, replacing ex-Egypt striker Mido who was shown the door after a string of poor results saw the team drop to fourth from bottom in the league table. "The team includes good players who only lack confidence in their abilities. I told them they need to be determined to win again to restore their confidence in themselves," Amunike said. In the first match under the 49-year-old s guidance, Maqassa played out a 1-1 draw with El-Entag El-Harby on Saturday. Maqassa currently lie third from bottom with 14 points from 17 matches, one behind the safety zone, but Amunike is optimistic about his team chances of staying in the top flight. "The team is in a very difficult situation, but our players can pass it. I know the teams circumstances well and my mission is to find solutions to quickly restore the balance," he added. "I told the players that changing their positions on the field in every game has been the main reason for the poor results." Happy with Egypt return Returning to the country where he made his name as a deadly forward in the early 1990s, Amunike expressed his great delight, welcoming the idea of taking charge of Cairo giants Zamalek one day. He joined Zamalek from Nigeria s Julius Berger in 1991 and went on to win two domestic league titles and one African Champions League crown in a glorious three-year spell with the club. Amunike also played for Portugal s Sporting, Spanish giants Barcelona and Albacete before ending his career at Jordanian club Al-Wehdat in 2004. "Egypt is my second country, where I had beautiful memories for three years and I am happy with the warm welcome everywhere," he said. "Working at Zamalek is a hope for any coach as it isa big club, but I am happy at Maqassa and I am working hard to achieve my ambitions there. "Returning back to winning ways and also to become among the top four is my priority and then I can think of any other steps." On the international level, Amunike was part of Nigeria s golden generation that won the Nations Cup in 1994 and reached the last 16 of the World Cup several months later. He was named Africa s best player in the same year before leading the U-23 side to the Olympic gold medal in 1996. Amunike had mixed fortunes in his brief managerial tenure, however. He guided Nigeria s U-17 side to World Cup glory in 2015 but had unsuccessful spells with Julius Berger and Ocean Boys in his home country as well as Sudan s Al Khartoum SC. He then took charge of the Tanzanian national team but they bowed out of last year s Nations Cup at the group stage after losing all their three games.

coach Rene Weiler denied that his team will play a friendly in South Africa ahead of the Mamelodi Sundowns game, revealing that rotating the squad made a positive impact on the team in the recent matches. "There are no friendly games in South Africa. We didn t even think about it," the Swiss coach said in the press conference after the Talae El-Gaish match. Ahly, who defeated Talae El-Gaish 3-0 in the 17th round of the Egyptian Premier League on Monday, will travel to South Africa to face Mamelodi Sundowns in the second leg quarter final game of the African Champions League scheduled for 6 March. Rotating the squad is one of the most notable characteristics of Weiler s successful strategy, which helped him to maintain a winning streak that reached 14 consecutive games. "I don t have starting or substitute players. The most important is when I rotate the squad, whoever plays, performs well, that s why we work with all the players in the same way," the 46-year-old coach revealed. With Monday s victory, Ahly reached 42 points on the table to increase the gap between the second placed Arab Contractors to 10 points. "The 10-point difference with Arab Contractors doesn t concern me, we play each game with full power and with the best formation to achieve victories only," the former Anderlecht coach said.

Ahly defeated Talae El-Gaish 3-0 on Monday to extend their winning-streak to 14 games since the start of the season, three wins short of their own record in 2004/2005. Nigerian striker Junior Ajayi, 33, put Ahly in the lead at the interval, while midfielders Amr El-Sulaya and Mohamed "Afsha" Magdi scored the second-half goals to open a 10-point gap at the top. Coach Rene Weiler kept on rotating his squad, making four changes to his previous line-up including Angolan winger Gerlado and Ahmed El-Sheikh to rest Hussein El-Shahat and striker Marwan Mohsen. From the early moments of the game, Ahly dominated the pitch, forcing Talae El-Gaish to sit back on defence. The Reds created constant threat through their left flank where Tunisia s Ali Maloul and Geraldo made darting runs, breaking through their opponents defence. In the 33rd minute, Maaloul set up Ajayi to score with an easy finish from inside the box. Ahly could have doubled their lead just before the break when Afsha s close range shot was brilliantly denied by international keeper Mohamed Bassam. At the other end, Mohamed El-Shennawi was not tested throughout the first half. After the interval, the hosts maintained their pressure until El-Sulaya got them what they wanted from a long range screamer in the 69th minute. After squandering several easy chances, playmaker Afsha completed the rout after being set up by Mahmoud Abdel-Moneim "Kaharaba" on the edge of the area to send a low shot at the bottom of the net.

Zamalek scored twice in seven second-half minutes to come from behind and earn a 2-1 win at Ismaily in the Egyptian Premier League on Sunday, boosting their morale ahead of an anticipated African Super Cup clash on Friday. Ismaily went to the locker room 1-0 up, thanks to a penalty from Egyptian international defender Baher El-Mohammadi, but a header from forward Youssef Ibrahim and a spot-kick from Mahmoud Alaa in quick succession after the break turned the match on its head. Matters went from bad to worse for Ismaily when substitute Mohamed Bayoumi was sent off for a second bookable offence 12 minutes from time, although they still spurned two clear-cut chances in the dying stages. Zamalek are third in the table with 31 points, just one behind Arab Contractors, who played a game more, and eight adrift of leaders Ahly, who have two matches in hand. The White Knights second straight league win came in a timely manner as they face some crunch games this month, including Friday s African Super Cup clash against Tunisia s Esperance in Doha. They also meet arch-rivals Ahly in the Egyptian Super Cup on 20 February and in the Egyptian league four days later. Stuttering Ismaily dropped to ninth in the table with 21 points. End-to-end half In an end-to-end first half, Ismaily had the lion s share of chances as they proved dangerous on the break. Zamalek had the first chance when Youssef Ibrahim s low shot from a pull-back was finger-tipped by the keeper but Ismaily quickly took control. They were unlucky not to go ahead on two occasions, including a sliding effort from ex-Zamalek winger Mohamed El-Shami which went just wide after he broke clear following a superb threaded pass from Ahmed Madbouli. Madbouli won a penalty in the 33rd minute when he was held back by Zamalek youngster Ahmed Eid, with El-Mohammadi s effort nestling into the bottom corner even though keeper Mohamed Abou-Gabal dived the right way. Zamalek improved after the break, with some darting runs behind Ismaily s backline causing menace to the hosts. They equalised on 61 minutes when Tunisian midfielder Ferjani Sassi, who was an otherwise peripheral figure, released Mohamed Ounajem with a fine lofted pass down the right as the Moroccan whipped in an inviting cross for Ibrahim to head home from close range. Zamalek went ahead six minutes later as Alaa sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot after lone striker Mostafa Mohamed was brought down by the shot-stopper. Ismaily were hardly affected by the dismissal of Bayoumi though and they were guilty of missing two easy chances through Tunisian forward Fakhereedine Ben Youssef and Namibian striker Benson Shilongo.