Zamalek president threatens to boycott Cairo derby over stadium row

Ahram Online , Thursday 4 Feb 2016

The outspoken chairman said he would ask to play the return leg in the troubled Libya, Yemen or Syria if Ahly insists on playing in Borg El-Arab Stadium

Mahmoud Kahraba (L) and Moemen Zakareya during the 2015 Egypt's Cup final between Ahly and Zamalek (Photo: Reuters)

Zamalek president Mortada Mansour said on Thursday that his football team would not play the Cairo derby at Borg El-Arab Stadium in Alexandria as scheduled on Tuesday 9 February.

Though the Egyptian Football Association announced on Thursday that the derby would take place at Borg El-Arab, Mansour announced that his team will be present at Petro Sport Stadium as per the earlier schedule.

"I am sticking to the schedule that I received in the season's debut, which noted that the game will take place at Petro Sport Stadium," he said.

Ahly had chosen three stadiums – Petro Sport, Cairo and Air Defense – to host their home matches, but were forced to play at Petro Sport only due to security circumstances.

Following a string of poor results, Ahly asked the EFA to move their home games from the narrow Petro Sport to Borg El-Arab, where the club played two games.

The Zamalek president stressed that if Ahly refuses to play at Petro Sport they should choose between one of their two remaining home grounds, Cairo or the Air Defense stadiums.

"If they want to play the derby at Borg El-Arab Stadium, I will play the second-leg in Libya, Iraq or Syria," he said.

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