Zamalek SC has moved swiftly to settle hefty financial dues, spending over $6 million to avoid another crippling FIFA registration ban.
The Cairo-based club has faced repeated sanctions in recent years due to unpaid debts to former players, coaches, and clubs.
Under the leadership of club president Hussein Labib, Zamalek has now dodged a second registration freeze by resolving a backlog of cases. The board settled outstanding payments to ex-coach Jaime Pacheco and former striker Khaled Bou-Tayeb, among others, to lift looming restrictions.
The club paid $1.5 million to Sporting Lisbon related to captain Mahmoud Shikabala’s transfer. Payments were also made to Caracas FC ($512,390) and Lion 36 of Nigeria ($24,364) for Benin striker Samson Akinyola.
In addition, Zamalek cleared dues with coaches Gesualdo Ferreira ($83,455) and Pacheco ($1.1 million).
Former players were also compensated, including Ghana’s Benjamin Acheampong ($340,130), Morocco’s Khaled Bouteib ($2.8 million), and Ahmed Belhadj ($46,398).
With this financial clean-up, Zamalek breathes a sigh of relief.
