Technical staff following daily home training; people more important than football, says Zamalek's Shikabala

Ahram Online , Sunday 22 Mar 2020

Egypt’s domestic football league has been suspended until April as a preventive measure to contain the global coronavirus outbreak

Shikabala
Zamalek SC's captain Mahmoud Abdel Razek 'Shikabala' (C) celebrates with the Egyptian Super Cup trophy after his team won the final match against Ahly SC at Mohammed Bin Zayed stadium in Abu Dhabi on February 20, 2020. (Photo: AFP)

Zamalek in-form left winger Mahmoud Shikabala has said that the team's technical staff are following players' daily home trainings to make sure of their fitness during the period of football suspension as Egypt tries to contain the coronavirus outbreak.

Football matches have been suspended in all divisions for two weeks while club management asked players to train at home to keep up their fitness ready for the resumption of the season.

"I don't know what will happen during the coming period. Let's wait and see. People's lives are more important than football," Shikabala said when asked about the Egyptian Premier League's fate this season.

Other countries with major football leagues — including Britain, Italy and Spain — have also suspended football matches until early April.

Since its outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, the coronavirus (COVID-19) has infected nearly 312,010 people globally and killed more than 13,073.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Egypt has reached 294.

The Egyptian government has been taking a number of preventive measures in an effort to limit the spread of the virus, including closing schools and universities for two weeks, starting 15 March.

Egypt has raised the alert level in hospitals, airports, and land ports, and has suspended flights to many countries that have reported major outbreaks.

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