Cairo giants Ahly have asked the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to postpone their game against Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in the CAF Champions League quarter final first leg for 24 hours, the club announced via their official website on Monday.
The game is scheduled for 5 April, but Ahly want to move it to the next day due to difficulties in finding a flight and because the team will play against Ittihad of Alexandria in the Egyptian league on 2 April.
"There are difficulties in playing the game on 5 April as we are supposed to arrive in South Africa on the fourth," Ahly's football director Said Abdelhafiz told the club's website.
"The long flight to South Africa will cause great pressure on the players as they won't have the needed rest before the match," he added.
"I am hoping the CAF will appreciate our circumstances and postpone the game for one day," Abdelhafiz concluded.
Ahly, who are currently second in the Egyptian league standings, will be on a tough mission when they take on bitter-rivals and table-toppers Zamalek on Saturday and later Ittihad, before they turn to Mamelodi Sundowns in the Champions League.
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