Zamalek's Egyptian League match against Harras Al-Hodoud has been called off on Friday due to surprising problems in the lighting system. The match was due to take place at 7 p.m. Cairo local time but the lights of the Cairo International Stadium went off suddenly just minutes before the kick-off. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) is likely to re-schedule the match. The game hosts Zamalek will fly to Libya on Saturday to face Ittihad in the return leg of the Arab Champions League (ACL) second round. Al-Hodoud coach Tarek Al-Ashri told FilGoal.com that his team deserves to be awarded the match as Zamalek are responsible of any game at their own venue. The military club's director Hazem Al-Gharib echoed Al-Ashri's sentiment, claiming that regulations stand in Al-Hodoud's favor. "Rules state that the hosts are responsible of any damage in the lighting system, so the game should be awarded to us with a 2-0 score," Al-Gharib told Nile Sports channel. "We received a fax from the EFA last week indicating that if the lights went off in any match the visitors will be announced winners," he added. On the other hand, Zamalek chairman Mamdouh Abbas expressed his confidence that the EFA emergency committee, which will hold a meeting on Saturday to discuss the issue, will reach a satisfying decision to all the parties involved. Abbas stated also that there was nothing wrong in the electricity but the Cairo Stadium's officials disconnected the current after smoke erupted with undetermined reason.
