Egyptian Football Association (EFA) president Samir Zaher said blocking Ismaili's participation in the Arab Champions League was a must in order to maintain the local league's stability. The EFA insisted earlier this year that no team will be allowed to participate in two external competitions next season. Reports then indicated that the EFA will backtrack on their decision, just like they did in the past two seasons. However, the Egyptian governing body this time stood firm on their initial decision. "After discussing Ismaili's request to take part in the ACL with competitions committee president Nayef Ezzat, we decided to turn it down," Zaher told FilGoal.com on Wednesday. "Ismaili are currently participating in the CAF Confederation Cup so they can't take part in another competition. "The coming season will be very busy as it will witness the Egyptian national team's participation in the African Cup of Nations as well as the clubs' continental commitments, so we are looking to have a stable schedule."
