Ahky's football director Sayed Abdel-Hafeez (Photo: Bassam El-Zoghbi)
Egyptian giants Ahly announced Thursday that they had chosen 8 April for their CAF Champions League round of 32 home match against Ethiopian Coffee at Cairo's Military Stadium.
“Ahly informed the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) of the date and location of the game,” the Reds’ football director Sayed Abdel-Hafiz was quoted as saying on the club’s official website.
There are concerns that crowd trouble could erupt at the match which would be the first in the country since 1 February when more than 70 Ahly supporters were killed at a league match against Masry.
The Cairo-based club, which faces complications with the EFA due to the sanctions imposed on Masry after the Port Said disaster, ignored reports that suggested the match be held behind closed doors.
“No security authority has contact us about playing the match without fans,” Abdel-Hafiz insisted.
Early this month, the Interior Ministry refused to secure even friendly matches due to concern about possible fan violence.
Ahly's hardcore supporters, Ultras Ahlawy, are currently holding an open sit-in outside the parliament building to demand justice for their comrades who died on 1 February.
The Egyptian champions drew 0-0 in Addis Ababa in the first leg on Sunday in their first competitive game in two months.
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