El Merrikh coach Lee Clark has gone missing four days following the club’s 1-0 defeat rivals Al Hilal Omdurman in CAF Champions League.
Clark failed to take part in training on Sunday and Monday has reportedly switched off his mobile phone and will not be in the dugout for Merrikh’s clash against Al Ahly on Friday.
A source close to the club revealed that the Englishman left Merrikh camp on Monday and is yet to report to report back in Cairo camp.
“We have not seen the coach since Monday when we arrived here from Khartoum after we played against Al Hilal Omdurman. He left immediately after arrival our in Cairo,” said our source.
News of Lee Clark absconding camp, comes two days after the team’s fitness coach Eslam Gamal also escaped from the team’s camp.
El Merreikh has since announced the appointment of club legend Ibrahim Hussein as the interim head coach and will oversee their remaining two games against Al Ahly and Mamelodi Sundowns.
Clark was reappointed El Merreikh coach at the start of the season and guided them to the CAF Champions League group stage.
He had resigned from the same position in June 2021 with reports indicating that it was due non-payment of salaries.
Before his first appointment at the Sudanese outfit, Clark managed in non-league at Blyth Spartans whom he parted company with the in March 2020.
The 49-year-old started his coaching career at Huddersfield Town and spent four years with the Yorkshire club in League One before Birmingham City lured him to the Championship in 2012.
He was snapped by Blackpool but won just three games in 33 with the club before quitting his role at Bloomfield Road as they were relegated.
He has since had spells at Kilmarnock and Bury, as well as Blyth and his job at El Merreikh was his first outside Europe.
