Zamalek to register Ahmed Jafali for African competition before last-32 stage

Zamalek will register Tunisia international Ahmed Jafali for the CAF Champions League before the end of September, allowing him to make his debut in the competition from the last-32 stage.

Jafali was left out of Zamalek’s initial African squad, meaning he was not eligible to play in the preliminary round. However, a club source told FilGoal.com that the 22-year-old will be added to the squad before the registration deadline of 30 September.

“Ahmed Jafali is not registered in the African squad taking part in the preliminary round of the CAF Champions League, but he will be registered before 30 September and will play with the team from the last-32 stage,” the source said.

Zamalek began their Champions League campaign with a 2-1 victory over Djibouti side AS Port in the first leg of the preliminary round.

Mohamed Shehata and Chico Banza scored for the Egyptian club, while Mehdi Hussein found the net for AS Port.

The match was Zamalek’s first in the CAF Champions League since their final fixture against Sudanese club Al-Merrikh in the 2023 edition.

The winners of the tie between Zamalek and AS Port will face the winners of the match between Congolese club Eagles and Rwanda side APR FC in the last-32 round.

CAF registration dates

The registration periods for the African club competitions have been set out in four stages.

The first period ran from 1 August 2026 to 15 August 2026. Players registered during that window were eligible to take part in the preliminary round.

The second period runs from 16 August 2026 to 30 September 2026. Players registered during this period can begin playing from the second preliminary round, also known as the last-32 stage.

A further registration window will be open from 1 October 2026 to 31 October 2026. Players added during that period will be eligible to participate from the group stage.

The final window is scheduled for 1 January 2027 to 31 January 2027. It will allow clubs to register players for the remaining group-stage and knockout matches.

Jafali joined Zamalek as the club prepared for their continental campaign but was not included in the initial list submitted for the opening round. His planned registration before 30 September means he should be available if Zamalek progress beyond AS Port.

The Cairo club hold a one-goal advantage after the first meeting, but the tie remains to be decided in the return fixture. Their potential last-32 opponent will be determined by the outcome of the Eagles versus APR FC contest.