Zamalek dismisses claims over African licence and Al Ahly replacement talk

A member of the board of directors at Zamalek SC has pushed back against recent speculation suggesting that rivals Al Ahly SC could take their place in African competitions, describing the reports as overstated and misleading.

The board member, Nayra Al-Ahmar, said the situation surrounding Zamalek’s African club licensing has been misrepresented in parts of the media, insisting that the club remains actively engaged in resolving outstanding issues.

She stressed that discussions portraying Zamalek as being close to exclusion from continental competition do not reflect the internal efforts currently underway.

She added that every club has the right to address administrative or financial challenges through the proper channels, while emphasizing that Zamalek is equally entitled to defend its position and complete all required procedures linked to its African licensing process.

According to her, the club’s leadership began taking swift action immediately after securing the league title, with the licensing file reopened and steps initiated to settle pending matters in an organised and timely manner from the following day.

The board member also criticised what she described as a pattern of disproportionate focus on Zamalek’s challenges in the media, arguing that similar situations at other clubs do not always receive the same level of scrutiny.

She called for more balanced coverage when reporting on administrative or financial issues affecting football teams.

Concluding her remarks, she urged for greater consistency and fairness in how club matters are assessed publicly, stressing the importance of professional standards in reporting and decision-making without singling out specific teams while overlooking others.