CAIRO - The Egyptian Football Association (EFA), chaired by Anwar Salah, said Sunday that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), headed by Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, has officially agreed for Al-Ahly's African Champions League fixture against Ethiopian Coffee on April 8 to be played at the Military Stadium at 7:00pm Cairo Local Time behind closed doors. "The military council has officially agreed to provide security at this match," he told a press conference Sunday, pointing out that the official letter will be sent within two days. Al-Ahly drew 0-0 against Ethiopian Coffee in Addis Ababa. It was the Red Devils' first official match since the Port Said tragedy that claimed the lives of at least 74 Al-Ahly fans and injured more than 1,000, leading to the cancellation of the Egyptian Premier League this season. Last month, the Red Devils held a training camp in the United Arab Emirates, where they played three friendlies, losing two and winning the third. Al-Ahly defeated Dubai of the Emirates 1-0, while losing to Kuwaiti club of Kuwait 3-2 and to the Emirates club 4-3. The military council's decision also includes Egypt's Enppi second-leg match against Lydia Academic of Burundi in Cairo and also behind closed doors. The Petroleum side were held to a 1-1 draw by Lydia Academic in Burundi, in the first leg of the African Confederation Cup round of 32. According to media reports, Al-Ahly will play a secret friendly Monday against Haras el-Hodoud in readiness for the African fixture. Meanwhile, Al-Ahly Portuguese general coach Pedro said that the second-leg match against Ethiopian Coffee in Cairo will not be an easy one, stressing that the Ethiopian team will be hoping for a good result at the Military Stadium. Mohamed Naguib, the Ahly defender, explained that Ethiopian Coffee are a good team with talented players. “They could play better in Cairo and the game won't be easy. They're a good team," he warned. Sayyed Abdel-Hafez, Al-Ahly's football director, said that the first-leg result against Ethiopian Coffee was acceptable, in light of the cancellation of the Premier League and the friendlies. "To get a draw away from home, given the problems we have been up against, was a respectable result," he added, stressing that he is confident that the players can win the second-leg. Last week, the board of Al-Ahly Club rejected the EFA sanctions on Al-Masry and decided to boycott all EFA-organised competitions and tournaments. "We reject the EFA sanctions on Al-Masry Club in the wake of the Port Said tragedy, because they are at odds with what happened at Port Said Stadium, ignoring the magnitude of the disaster," Mahmoud Allam, the director-general of Al-Ahly Club, said. The EFA announced the freezing of the first team of Al-Masry of Port Said club for two years and a home-play ban lasting three years. The decision also excludes Al-Masry's youth and junior teams from the sanctions. The EFA statement added that Al-Ahly club will have to play four matches behind closed doors, while the team's technical coach, Manuel José da Silva, and team captain Hossam Ghali will be suspended for four years and each fined LE5,000 (around $830) for bad behaviour.
