File photo of the African Champions League trophy (Reuters)
Egyptian side Zamalek said on Tuesday they objected to the possible postponement of the African Champions League semi-finals, although compatriots Ahly and Moroccan duo Raja and Wydad reportedly voted in favour of rescheduling the anticipated games.
In an online meeting involving representatives of the three clubs and the Confederation of African Football (CAF), delaying the last-four clashes was proposed due to the rise of coronavirus infections in Morocco.
The first-legs are scheduled to take place later this month, with Zamalek meeting Raja on 25 September and Ahly taking on Wydad one day later. Both contests will be played in Morocco, where the domestic league is disrupted after a surge in COVID-19 cases had forced many delays.
Zamalek football director Amir Mortada Mansour told the club's official website that fellow Egyptian side Pyramids, who will face Guinea's Horoya AC in the Confederation Cup semis on 22 September, were also in favour of maintaining the current schedule.
"Both clubs rejected postponing the matches, proposing that both home and away legs be played in Egypt in case it's not possible to play in Morocco," Mansour added.
Local reports said Pyramids were also the only club among the four semi-finalists in Africa's secondary club competition to object to any alterations.
CAF is now likely to reschedule the semi-finals of both competitions to October, with the announcement expected on Thursday, Egyptian media reported.
Ahly are eyeing their first Champions League crown since they won the last of their record eight titles in 2013 while five-time winners Zamalek are seeking to win the competition for the first time since 2002.
Pyramids are targeting their maiden competition, having made steady progress since they were bought by Emirati investor Salem Al Shamsi in the summer of 2019.
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