SAN FRANCISCO, November 25, (THEWILL) –Â Egyptian Premier League club Zamalek SC have suffered a serious blow ahead of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League final against their domestic rivals Al Ahly SC as their key defender Mahmoud “El-Wensh” Hamdi has tested positive for the coronavirus.
Zamalek take on arch-rivals Al Ahly in the 2020 CAF Champions League final on Friday, November 27 at the Cairo International stadium, al-Qahirah, Egypt.
Al Ahly already have COVID-19 absentees of their own. They go into the final without the services of the trio: 26-year-old winger Mahmoud Kahraba, 27-year-old playmaker Saleh Gomaa, and 35-year-old veteran winger Walid Soliman, after they all tested positive.
On the other hand, Zamalek previously had just one positive case among their squad, their 27-year-old defensive midfielder Mohamed Hassan. However, the club has confirmed that one of their key squad players El-Wensh has also contracted the virus.
The 25-year-old centre-back was included in the Egypt squad that contested the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) double-header qualifiers against Togo.
Hamdi becomes the latest player of the national team to test positive for COVID-19, after Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Arsenal’s Mohamed Elneny, Olympiacos’ Ahmed Hassan Kouka, and Ismaily SC’s Mohamed Sherif.
El-Wensh has been an integral part of the Zamalek defence. He has 37 appearances for the second-placed club in the domestic league this season, including 10 in the CAF Champions League, helping the club to reach the final.
In his absence, Jaime Pacheco, Zamalek head coach, may have to call on 27-year-old Mohamed Abdel Ghani to take his place in the back line of the Zamalek defence.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
