Sibongiseni Gumbi
Samir Nurkovic will probably lead the line for Chiefs in Egypt against Wydad. Picture: Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix.
“It has been decided to hold the match between Wydad and South African side Kaizer Chiefs at Al Salam Stadium in Cairo,” read a statement on Wydad’s Facebook page.
Wydad Casablanca have announced they will now play Kaizer Chiefs in their Caf Champions League Group C opener in Cairo, Egypt, after the Confederation of African Football (Caf) ruled that the game would now take place in Cairo, Egypt.
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The match was supposed to be played in Casablanca last Saturday, but had to be postponed after Amakhosi were given the run arounds when they tried to get visas from the Moroccan embassy in Pretoria last week. It later emerged that the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (RMMF) had been told by authorities in Morocco that Kaizer Chiefs would not be allowed in the country, with no South African allowed to enter Morocco in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic.
The RMMF wrote to Caf requesting a postponement, which they granted, then announcing the game would be played at a neutral venue.
“We end to let the generous friendly fans know that it has been decided to hold the match between Wydad and South African side Kaizer Chiefs at Al Salam Stadium in Cairo,” read a statement on Wydad’s Facebook page.
“The Wydad Sports Administration extends its heartfelt thanks to Faouzi Lakjaa, president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, who spared no effort to find a neutral stadium that could host the match, as it intensified its contacts, even though the (Caf) gave the the club only 24 hours to determine a new venue for the match…
“Wydad also thanks the Egyptian Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Egyptian Federation, who thankfully accepted this match. This is not strange for the brothers in Egypt, with whom we have fraternal and friendly relations.”
Caf have however not announced the new date and venue and it is not clear if Amakhosi have received official communication on the new developments yet.
This could mean Amakhosi’s DStv Premiership fixture, set for Wednesday against AmaZulu, will be postponed to allow the Naturena side time to travel to Cairo, though the exact date of the match is not yet known.
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