The result of the lottery.. and the beginning of the crisis
- It held the round of 16 draw, which resulted in Al-Ahly’s confrontation with Al-Masry, as the League announced that the price and quarter-final matches would be held during the international break in the second half of March.
What does the contest list say?
- Article 57 of the Egyptian Clubs Association competition regulations stipulates that participation in the tournament is compulsory with the first team, excluding international players, if they are with the national teams.
- According to Article 57, the League of Clubs owns the marketing and commercial rights stipulated between the League and the sponsoring company, provided that the revenues are distributed based on the clubs reaching the next rounds of the League Cup.
Al-Ahly requests a postponement
- Al-Ahly Club issued a statement, calling on the League of Clubs to postpone its match against Al-Masry in accordance with the principle of equal opportunities, and in line with the provisions of the competition regulations, in light of the summoning of 14 players to the national teams during the international break, at a time when the majority of competitors in the same tournament enjoy the presence of all their elements. Which is contrary to all rules of justice.
- Al-Ahly club refuses to play the Al-Masry match, especially after rejecting its request to postpone the Arab Contractors match in the league championship, which preceded the team’s travel to South Africa to face Sundowns in the fourth round of the group stage of the Champions League, which Al-Ahly lost by five to two goals.
African list
- There are 10 players from Al-Ahly club in the first teams, including 7 Egyptians, in addition to Percy Tao joining the South African list, Aliou Diang to the Mali list, and Ali Maaloul to the Tunisian list. There are also 4 players from Al-Ahly in the ranks of the Egyptian Olympic team.
- The Egyptian national team is preparing to face Malawi in the African qualifiers for the Nations Cup, while the Olympic team is preparing to face Zambia in the qualifiers for the African Nations Under-23 Championship, which qualifies for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
- Al-Ahly is scheduled to meet Al-Hilal of Sudan in the last round of the group stage of the African Champions League, on Sunday, March 31 or April 1, as the Cairo team needs to win in order to qualify as the second group, to the quarter-finals of the continental championship.
Al-Masry refuses to postpone
- Yasser Yahya, a member of the Al-Masry club’s board of directors, responded to Al-Ahly’s request for a postponement, indicating that the competition is being held in exceptional circumstances and declaring the team’s readiness for that confrontation. The Al-Masry member asked, “We are ready for the confrontation and committed to the dates and conditions of the competition. The confrontation will not be postponed.”
- The Egyptian Football Association announced a change to the Egyptian Super Championship system, so that it will be held with the participation of 4 teams instead of one match between the league and cup champions, without revealing the details of the other two teams, amid speculation that the League Cup champion will participate.
Faint presence of Al-Ahly “young man”
- Al-Ahly participated in the League Cup last season with the youth team, and bid farewell to the tournament from the group stage, which was held during the African Cup of Nations in Cameroon in January 2022.
- Al-Ahly tied 4 matches against El-Gouna, negatively, Ismaily, El-Mokawloon, and the National Bank, with a goal for each team, and lost to Smouha, 3-0, to occupy last place in its group.
- Commenting on the crisis, Hadi Al-Madani, a sports journalist, was amazed at setting the date for the Al-Ahly and Al-Masry match to be held on March 27, 4 days before Al-Ahly’s confrontation against Al-Hilal, indicating that it was possible to set the match date on any previous day to provide an opportunity for Al-Ahly to prepare its players for the decisive confrontation in the league. Champions, especially in light of the fact that Al-Ahly and Al-Masry were not linked to any matches during that period.
- Al-Madani mentioned, in an interview with Sky News Arabia, that the regulations oblige Al-Ahly to participate, but it does not stipulate any penalties in the event of withdrawal, as the League contented itself with a rubber clause that the withdrawing team bear the consequences.
- In response to forcing clubs to participate in the League Cup with the first team, Al-Madani explained that any player who has a professional contract with Al-Ahly can play in the League Cup, as evidenced by the 22-year-old Al-Ahly Youth Team 2001.
“Egyptian football is not ready to compete in the League Cup with young players, to repeat what happened last season, as Al-Ahly and Zamalek suffered great losses for their participation in the tournament with young players, although the age of 22 is not young. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland is 23 years old and is the top scorer in the English Premier League. And the examples abound.”
- Al-Madani considered that the meeting of Al-Ahly’s board of directors, headed by Al-Khatib, with Marcel Koller, Al-Ahly’s technical director, as a prelude to not participating in the League Cup tournament.
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