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.

Zamalek have a busy schedule this month. The team will face Ismaily on the 17th matchday of the Egyptian Premier League on Sunday, five days before battling it out with Esperance of Tunisia in the African Super Cup. The Whites will also face arch-rivals Ahly in the Egypt Super Cup in the UAE on 20 February, then the two sides will meet again in the Egyptian Premier League on 24 February before finishing the month playing against Esperance of Tunisia on 29 February. "February is a very important month to us, with two games and potentially two trophies," Zamalek s football director Amir Mansour told the club s official website. "The game against Ismaily will be a good warm-up for the Super Cups." Egyptian international striker Mostafa Mohamed will boost Zamalek s squad ahead of ismaily clash after serving his one match ban. Tunisian midfielder Ferjani Sassi will also boost the Whites after missing the 2-0 win over minor side Haras El-Hodoud in the Egyptian Premier League last week. In-form winger Mahmoud Shikabala will remain out of the pitch after he had been sidelined during the goalless draw with Angola s Primeiro de Agosto and Haras El-Hodoud. Zamalek are third in the league table with 28 points. They have been inconsistent in their domestic campaign, falling a staggering 11 points behind defending champions Ahly, who also have a game in hand. Zamalek s only hope is in finishing second in the league table to earn an African Champions League spot next season. Ismaily are eager to return to winning ways after losing their last game against Aswan 2-1 in the league then improving their position on the teams table. The Dervishes squad will be boosted by the return of striker Mohamed El-Shami after finishing his rehab programme alongside Tunisian striker Fakhreddine Ben Youssef and in-form playmaker Ayman Magdi. Ismaily are in the ninth place in the league table with 21 points, seven points behind opponents Zamalek.

Egypt s Ahly will have a chance to avenge their humiliating defeat by South Africa s Mamelodi Sundowns last season as both sides were paired in the African Champions League quarterfinals after the draw was made on Wednesday. Five-time winners Zamalek, Ahly s perennial Cairo rivals, will meet defending champions Esperance of Tunisia in another mouthwatering two-legged clash in the last eight. Ahly and Sundowns met in the same stage last season, with the South Africans claiming a stunning 5-0 home victory in the first leg, handing the record eight-time champions their worst ever defeat in an African competition. The Red Devils won the second leg 1-0 but it was a mere consolation, with another failure in Africa s blue-riband club competition prompting much-soul searching as to why the team are struggling to recapture their glory days. Ahly, who won their last Champions League title in 2013, appear formidable on the domestic front as they won their first 12 matches with a swagger. However, they have not been as impressive in the group stage of the Champions League, failing to win any of their away matches. They still managed to finish second behind Tunisia s Etoile Sahel after a 1-1 draw away to Sudan s Al-Hilal in a tense match in the final round. Zamalek, who last won the competition in 2002, will face Esperance three times in around three weeks as both sides clash in the African Super Cup on 14 February. In the other quarter-final games, Morocco s Raja take on TP Mazembe of the DR Congo and Wydad Casablanca meet Etoile. The winners of the Zamalek-Esperance game will meet either Raja or Mazembe while the winners of the Ahly-Sundowns match will face either Wydad or Etoile in the semifinals.

Aware that their hopes of challenging Ahly for the Egyptian league title this season are very slim, Zamalek have shifted their attention towards two key Super Cup clashes this month. Zamalek s French coach Patrice Carteron is likely to field a weakened side against Haras El-Hodoud in Wednesday s league match, less than 10 days before the team meet Tunisia s Esperance in the African Super Cup in Qatari capital Doha. They also face Cairo rivals Ahly in the domestic Super Cup in the United Arab Emirates on 20 February. "February is a very important month for us, with two games equalling two trophies," Zamalek s football director Amir Mansour said on the club s official website. "Our next two games against El-Hodoud and Ismaily will represent good preparations for the Super Cups. "We are not underestimating the league competition but Carteron intends to rotate his squad to prepare the team [for the Super Cup games]." Zamalek have been inconsistent in their domestic league campaign, falling a staggering 11 points behind defending champions Ahly, who also have a game in hand. Their only realistic hope lies in finishing second to earn an African Champions League spot next season. El-Hodoud will be seeking to end a three-match winless run in the league. They lie 10th in the table with 18 points. Carteron left main striker Mostafa Mohamed out of Zamalek s squad for the game. Influential central midfielder Ferjani Sassi is also rested but the team welcome back Moroccan playmaker Achraf Bencharki after he recovered from injury.

A South Korean court ordered a local promoter Tuesday to compensate fans for Cristiano Ronaldo s no-show at a friendly match in Seoul last year. The Juventus star stayed on the bench throughout a 3-3 draw with a K-League all-stars team at the Seoul World Cup Stadium in July, despite rounds of appeals from a sell-out crowd of 65,000. Match promoter The Festa had run adverts heavily featuring the Portuguese striker. Tickets -- priced from 30,000 won ($25) to 400,000 won -- sold out in less than three minutes, with many eager to see the 34-year-old superstar in action. Two fans sued The Festa, accusing it of false advertising, and the Incheon District Court ruled the promoter should pay them 371,000 won each, the South s Yonhap news agency reported. No order was made against Ronaldo or his club. South Korean fans frustration has led to the coining of an online phrase, "acting like Ronaldo", to criticise someone who only seeks benefits without fulfilling promised action. "If he had played just for 10 minutes, everyone would have walked home happy," one poster wrote on the country s largest portal site Naver.

Crisis-hit Masry, who had already qualified for the quarter-finals, held Nigeria s Enugu Rangers to a 1-1 away draw in their last group-stage game of the African Confederation Cup on Sunday. Palestinian striker Mahmoud Wadi needed six minutes to give Masry the lead with a simple finish after running onto a threaded pass behind the defence. However, Ifeanyi George brought Rangers level in the 20th minute, sneaking behind the defence to volley home a floated free kick. Both sides had chances to win in an end-to-end second half but were guilty of squandering some easy opportunities. Masry finished second in Group A with 10 points, five behind leaders and compatriots Pyramids FC as both sides went through. Rangers are third on six points, with Mauritania s Nouadhibou lying at the bottom with two points. Masry lifted some of the gloom surrounding the club after their patchy domestic form saw them slip to 11th in the Egyptian Premier League table. Coach Ihab Galal submitted his resignation following a poor domestic run last week but Masry s board convinced him to stay put. Matters went from bad to worse when they were also banned by world governing body FIFA from the next three transfer windows after they were found guilty of violating transfer rules regarding the signing of Ivorian winger Cheick Moukoro.

Egypt s Ahly survived a late scare in Sudan s Omdurman to book their place in the African Champions League quarters following a tense 1-1 draw with Al-Hilal on Saturday. Needing only a draw to advance, the game looked dead and buried when Magdi Afsha fired Ahly in front three minutes into the second half, silencing a passionate crowd. Tensions boiled over with 15 minutes remaining as Al-Hilal players harangued the referee more than once. Two fans invaded the pitch and a barrage of projectiles were thrown onto the field, forcing a seven-minute stoppage as security forces formed a cordon around the officials and both teams. When the game resumed, substitute Mahmoud Kahraba, who joined Ahly in January, could not find an open net after rounding the keeper and the glaring miss could have proved costly. Deep in stoppage time, a rare defensive lapse allowed Al-Hilal to equalise, substitute Abdelrazig Omer stabbing home from close range after Abou Aagla lofted the ball over a static center back. Al-Hilal had a goal correctly ruled out for offside at the death in a frenetic finale as Ahly breathed a sigh of relief after the final whistle, despite missing the chance to secure passage to the last eight as the group winners. They instead finished second in their group with 11 points, one behind leaders Etoile Sahel who beat bottom side Platinum of Zimbabwe 2-0 in the other group match. Al-Hilal are third on 10 points, narrowly missing out on a quarter-final berth. Balanced strategy Ahly s balanced strategy worked well in the first half, forcing Al-Hilal to launch some innocuous long balls which were no trouble to a composed defence. Al-Hilal forwards could not also break the offside trap on several occasions while the only half-chance in the first period fell to the visitors. In the 13th minute, lone striker Marwan Mohsen ran onto a threaded pass but fired high over from a tight angle. Ahly remained in control in the aqsecond half and apart from a wayward shot from Al-Hilal s Mohamed Mokhtar in the 47th minute, they were comfortable at the back. They silenced the home crowd just one minute later following a neatly-worked move. Central midfielder Amr El-Sulaya sent a perfectly-weighted pass to Hussein El-Shahat to beat the offside trap at the far post, with the winger crossing low for Afsha to side-foot home. A lengthy stoppage dampened Al-Hilal s spirit, with Kahraba missing a sitter on 88 minutes when he broke clear and skipped past the keeper, only to needlessly dither on the ball and fire into the side netting. Omer gave Al-Hilal a lifeline five minutes into the additional time but another vital goal did not materialize as record eight-time winners Ahly continued their bid towards their first Champions League crown since 2013.

Pyramids came from behind to beat bottom side FC Masr 2-1 in the Egyptian Premier League on Wednesday, with their opponents having three players sent off. Mostafa Sultan fired FC Masr in front in the 33rd minute when he flicked a cross past his challenger and drilled home. However, Egyptian international midfielder Nabil Emad brought Pyramids level on the stroke of halftime before FC Masr had Ahmed Youssef sent off after receiving a second booking in the 66th minute. Pyramids made their numerical advantage count as Islam Eissa netted the decisive winner in the 74th minute, cutting ahead of a defender to control a long ball in the area and volley home. Matters went from bad to worse for FC Masr in the final five minutes when Ahmed Ouka and Islam Salah received their marching orders for remonstrating with the referee. Pyramids, who secured a second straight win, moved up to third in the table with 26 points, six behind second-placed Arab Contractors. FC Masr, who are making their maiden appearance in the top flight, lie at the bottom on 11 points.