Egypt giants Ahly decided not to take part in this season's Egypt Cup due to sponsorship conflicts with the Egyptian Football Association (EFA). "We have informed EFA of our apology that came due to the sponsorship deals conflict," Ahly said in a statement in its official website on Wednesday. "The ambiguity of the tournaments' revenues and schedules were also reasons for the decision," the statement added. Earlier on Wednesday, coastal club Ismaily announced that they will not play in the tournament for financial reasons. On the contrary, Ahly archrivals Zamalek will participate in the oldest Egyptian football tournament, but they have some points to discuss with the EFA board first. Under coach Hossam El-Badry's guidance, the Red Devils have delivered outstanding performances on both the domestic and continental levels this season. Titleholders Ahly qualified for the African Champions League round of 16 following an easy 2-0 home win over Kenya's Tusker on Sunday, giving the team an overall 4-1 aggregate victory. Ahly, the 35-time winners of the Egypt Cup, currently lie at the top of the Egyptian League's Group A with 18 points from eight matches. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at@AO Sportsand on Facebook atAhramOnlineSports)
