African champions Ahli will face European counterparts Barcelona in Cairo on April 24th, the Egyptian club announced on Monday. The match will take place as part of Ahli's 100-year anniversary celebrations, which began in February. Ibrahim Al-Moealem, head of Ahli's centennial celebrations committee, said that the club's board received confirmation from Barcelona regarding the game. "Barcelona president Juan Laporta is very excited about the game and considers it an international event, especially after Ahli's display at the World Club Championship," Al-Moealem told a press conference on Monday.
Al-Moealem Barcelona's delegation, which will include all the team's stars like Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, Deco, and Lionel Messi among others, is set to arrive in Cairo on the 23rd of April, and leave the day after the game. "Mr. Laporta said that Barcelona's team will arrive with all their first tier players to participate in the event," Al-Moealem added. Ahli benefited from Barcelona's early exit from this season's UEFA Champions League competition, an incident that helped speed up the negotiations for the game, which Al-Moealem said will not cost the club any money. "Sponsors will take care of all the financial matters, but I can't reveal the details upon the request of Barcelona officials," he said. Al-Moealem has called upon the Cairo International Stadium authorities to prepare the venue for this "important event" that will be televised to millions of viewers worldwide.
