Zamalek v Raja | CAF Champions League Match Preview

November 4th, 2020
14:00 ET Canada-USA | 20:00 Cairo Local Time
Cairo International Stadium

Zamalek continues their preparations for their eagerly-awaited second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Raja Casablanca. The Egyptian outfit received a boost by the return of several key players who were previously unavailable due to injury.

Mahmoud Hamdy Al-Wensh who is considered one of the most important players in Zamalek’s defensive line has returned and participated in a part of the team’s training at the gym. He is expected to join regular training ahead of Wednesday’s game after the doctors found he has positively responded to the treatment and a rehabilitation programme.

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Mahmoud Alaa has been given the green light to take part in the group’s training and is physically fit to play against Raja, while coach Jaime Pacheco has tailored a programme for the player to get him ready for Wednesday’s game.

Right-back Hazem Imam who the team has severely missed in his absence due to a lack of options in that position has also returned to training after completely recovering from his injury and is 100% ready to participate in games.

Ahmed Sayed Zizo who missed yesterday’s training appeared in today’s training as well and seems ready for Wednesday’s game. Zizo has been one of the most important pillars in Zamalek’s squad recently and is also the one who created the winning goal in the first leg.

Zamalek managed to return from Casablanca with a 1-0 lead and are hoping to make it through to set up a mouth-watering clash with historic rival Al-Ahly in the final.

Raja Casablanca

Morocco’s Raja Casablanca mission arrived in Cairo on Monday night ahead of their game against Zamalek in the second leg of the African Champions League semifinal scheduled for Wednesday.

The second leg was initially scheduled for 24 October, but the Confederation of African Football (CAF) postponed the game to 1 November after more than a dozen Raja players tested positive for COVID-19, before delaying the game for a second time to 4 November upon the request of Egyptian authorities.

The Moroccan club will be missing their regular goalkeeper Anas Zniti, who has not yet recovered from the virus, as well as left back Abdeljalil Jbira and midfielder Mohamed Douik, check out meilleurs casinos en ligne and win big.

However, Raja manager Jamal Sellami assured that the game’s second postponement gave the team a chance to welcome back a large number of players who recovered from COVID-19 and returned to training.

“We also had the chance to recover the players who were absent from the first leg match due to muscular injuries, although the lack of team trainings will affect the players’ fitness.

“But in such games, it is the team spirit that controls the team. Raja’s players have shown many examples of strong cohesion,” Sellami told Moroccan newspaper Al-Mountakhab.

“We will be ready for the game on all levels. It will be a tense encounter and will witness many surprises,” he added.

Raja have not played any games since losing the first leg on 18 October, when Zamalek’s Moroccan winger Achraf Bencharki headed the winner in the first half in an empty Mohamed V Stadium in Casablanca.

The winner of Wednesday’s clash will face Ahly in the final at Alexandria’s Borg El-Arab Stadium on 27 November.