CAF’s stipulates that the opponent should be informed of any change of the venue or date at least 10 days before the due time.
Rabat – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has found itself mediating another scandal after the Egyptian club Al Zamalek postponed their Champions League match against the Senegalese football club Generation Foot just 24 hours before the kick-off.
The match was initially going to take place on Saturday, September 28. But Al Zamalek pushed it back to Sunday and informed Generation Foot about the schedule change only 24 hours before. Al Zamalek also changed the location from Cairo’s Petrosport Stadium to Alexandria in Borg El-Arab Stadium.
Officials postponed the match for unspecified “security measures.”
“The security reason presented by Zamalek’s management to support their request for postponing the game is not real,” said the Senegalese club’s communication director, Talla Fall.
“We were supposed to train on Friday, 24 hours ahead of the game, as per the rules and regulations of the CAF. Surprisingly we received a letter on Friday, September 27 at 4 pm informing us that the game has been postponed to Sunday, September 29,” Fall explained.
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The Senegalese club decided to go to the Petrosport Stadium on Saturday anyway, assuming that CAF had not made the rearrangement.
Despite negotiations to play the game, Generation Foot refused Al Zamalek officials’ proposals.
“How can a game be postponed 24 hours before it starts. It is impossible for us to play the game in Alexandria. We have rights and if we have to go all the way to enforce the law we’ll do it,” he concluded.
Al Zamalek’s postponement does not comply with CAF regulations, which require clubs to inform the opponent of any change at least 10 days ahead of time.
Al Zamalek lost to Generation Foot (2-1) in the first leg of the Round of 32 in the CAF Champions League which took place on September 14, in Stade Lat-Dior, Thies, Senegal.
CAF’s statement on the issue
CAF released a statement in light of the incident during the second leg of the Round of 32 of the African Champions League.
“Caf has been closely following the situation … between Zamalek (Egypt) and Generation Foot (Senegal), which was due to take place over the weekend,” CAF said in a statement.
“The relevant CAF bodies and representatives are currently examining the situation and further information and updates will be issued in due time,” it added.
Generation Foot has said that it is considering reaching out to the Court of Arbitration for Sport if they are kicked out of this year’s CAF Champions League.
The group stage draw will be on October 9. CAF must make a ruling quickly on the issue.
