The Egypt Cup will return to life as Zamalek plays Tanta in round 16 of the tournament on 22 October, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) confirmed on Sunday.
“The EFA informed us in an official letter that the Tanta match will be held as scheduled at Gouna stadium, but behind closed doors,” Zamalek’s official website revealed.
In May this year, the Whites, Zamalek, opened their Egypt Cup campaign with an easy 3-0 victory over second-division team Tersana.
The future of Egypt’s second largest tournament was in question due to the country’s political instability after the army ousted former president Mohamed Morsi in July amid mass demonstrations against his rule.
This season’s Egypt Cup is devoid of Zamalek's arch-rivals Ahly, Ismaily and Haras El-Hodoud. The trio withdrew after a dispute with the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) over sponsorship issues.
Last season, the Egypt Cup was cancelled after the Port Said disaster that left over 70 people dead and hundreds injured during a match between Ahly and Masry at the Port Said Stadium.
Most Egyptian football matches have been held behind closed doors since the tragedy for security reasons.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Short link: