Zamalek Fail To Honour Fixture Against Al Ahly

Egyptian Premier League giants Zamalek on Monday failed to show up for league match against their rivals Al Ahly.

The match that was slated for Cairo International Stadium, saw the kick-off delayed for an hour as Zamalek were reportedly stuck in traffic due to heavy rains in the Egyptian capital.

Al Ahly players were already on the pitch by 19:30 Cairo local time and waited in vain for their opponents of the day to arrive. They went into the pitch and had a small session with the match called off after 20 minutes of waiting.

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has since said that Zamalek will be threatened with an automatic deduction of six balance points as there was no obstacle preventing the club bus from accessing the match venue.

“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.

On Sunday, Zamalek president Mortada Mansour indicated that his team will refuse to play the match in protest of the sanctions imposed following the Super Cup brawl last Thursday.

“The club will not play any matches in the Egyptian league in the presence of the current Egyptian Premier League’s normalization committee headed by Amr El-Ganainy,” Mansour said in a statement.

With the walkover, Al Ahly remain top of the league table with 48 points from 16 games while Zamalek sit third with 31 points, 17 behind the Reds.