CAF Confederation Cup
Zamalek suffer injury and suspension blows before Confederation Cup clash with Enyimba
Four key players may not feature for Zamalek when they take on Nigeria’s Enyimba in Cairo on Sunday. Three of them are sidelined owing to injury.
The fourth, Nabil Imad Donga, the team’s midfielder, will miss the match owing to suspension due to the accumulation of yellow cards.
The injured players are Mohamed El-Sayed, Abdullah El-Saeed and Mahmoud Hamdy “El-Wensh.”
Al-Wensh suffers from a bruise on the lower thigh and knee. He, according to an Egyptian publication, Dostor, went through rehabilitation training on the sidelines in Friday’s training session.
On the other hand, Mohamed El-Sayed, complained of pain in the internal ligament of his knee, making his chances of participating in the match against Enyimba difficult.
Abdullah El-Saeed suffered a bruise on the anterior muscle.
Dr. Mohamed Osama, head of the Zamalek team’s medical staff, confirmed that Mohamed El-Sayed underwent a knee X-ray that proved his safety, and the medical staff preferred to develop a rehabilitation program to prepare him for the current period.
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CAF Confederation Cup
Zamalek technical director worries over tactical crisis ahead of Enyimba clash
As the curtain falls on the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup on Sunday with Group D leaders, Zamalek hosting desperate Enyimba of Nigeria, the Egyptian outfit’s technical director, Christian Gross, a Swiss has said that he is looking forward to winning the match despite having already qualified for the next round.
Gross, according to Egyptian publication, Al-Masry Al Youm, remarked at a press conference that his goal was to win all matches. “But we know that the opponent is not easy, and matches in the African Championship are important and must be won.”
The technical director said: “We still have 24 hours to prepare for tomorrow’s match, and I am following up on the condition of the injured players, and there may be some changes to the team’s lineup during the match, and our goal is to achieve victory,
Gross continued, “The most difficult thing in football is to create a balance between defence and attack, and that requires a lot of work, but we are working on addressing the negatives at the moment.”
Regarding Zamalek’s expected competitor in the next round, he said, “We are focusing on tomorrow’s match, and we are ready for any competitor in the next round.
Zamalek will host its Nigerian counterpart, Enyimba, at 5 pm (Nigerian time) tomorrow, Sunday, at Cairo International Stadium, in the sixth round of the group stage matches of the African Confederation Cup.
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Pierre Ghislain Atcho who officiated Nigeria’s 2-1 loss to Benin Republic in last year’s World Cup qualifying duel will officiate the Zamalek versus Enyimba Confederation Cup match in Cairo on Sunday.
He will be assisted by his compatriot Boris Marles Ditsoga and Cameroonian Karen Atizampong Foko as assistants, while Gabonese Tanguy Patrice Mebeami will be the fourth official.
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The quarter-final line-up in the CAF Confederation Cup will be completed this weekend, as the race towards a place in the knockout stages enters its final stretch on Sunday, 19 January.
Two places remain to make up the eight teams that will compete the quarter-finals after defending champions Zamalek SC (Egypt), CS Constantine, USM Alger (Algeria), RS Berkane (Morocco), Simba SC (Tanzania) and Stellenbosch FC (South Africa) all secured their respective places with a game to spare.
The knockout stages already promises to live up to the competition’s high expectations, with reigning champions Zamalek joined by two former winners RS Berkane and USM Alger, who together all have five titles amongst them.
Senegalese side, AS Jaraaf will approach Sunday’s top of the table clash in Group C with caution, needing just a point to join former champions USM Alger in the knockout stage.
Asec Mimosas welcome Botswana’s Orapa United to Abidjan, targeting nothing less than a victory. If AS Jaraaf lose and Asec Mimosas win, the latter will move into second on the head-to-head rule.
It will be a tough mountain to climb for the Ivorians as they attempt to overcome a side that frustrated them to a goalless tie in Gaborone last month.
Group D will line up some interesting encounters on Sunday as Zamalek, who have their top spot in the group sealed, welcome former African champions Enyimba.
The Nigerian outfit are a point behind second-placed Egypt’s Al Masry. The latter have their qualification in their hands with a victory – irrespective of the other fixture’s outcome.
CAF Confederation Cup Match Day 6 | Sunday, 19 January
Group A
- 13h00 GMT | CS Sfaxien v Bravos do Maquis
- 13h00 GMT | Simba v CS Constantine
Group B
- 19h00 GMT | RS Berkane v Stellenbosch FC
- 19h00 GMT | Stade Malien v CD Lunda Sul
Group C
- 19h00 GMT | Asec Mimosas v Orapa United FC
- 19h00 GMT | USM Alger v Jaraaf
Group D
- 16h00 GMT | Al Masry v Black Bulls
- 16h00 GMT | Zamalek SC v Enyimba FC
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Zamalek technical director worries over tactical crisis ahead of Enyimba clash
Zamalek suffer injury and suspension blows before Confederation Cup clash with Enyimba
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