Zamalek, Rayon Sports game moved to Sunday

The Caf Confederation Cup first round, first leg clash between Egyptian side Zamalek and Rayon Sports will be played on Sunday instead of Friday as had earlier been scheduled. The change of date, which came at the eleventh minute on request by the hosts, caught the Rwandan side unaware, but Zamalek agreed to take care of Rayon Sports’ extra costs they will have incurred. According to the Egyptian press, Zamalek will host Rayon in the first leg in El Gounah Stadium located on the Red Sea after recommendation from the ministry of interior for security reason that the schedule be moved away from the Cairo International Stadium. The clash was supposed to be held in Cairo on Friday but the Egyptian Football Association decided to move it to El Gounah but Zamalek had opted to play the match in Suez but have now settled for the FA’s choice. Rayon Sports qualified to the round of 32 in the Confederation Cup after they defeated Cameroonian outfit Panthère Sportive du Nde 2-0 on goal aggregate. Rayon Sports interim head coach Sosthene Habimana said that the changes are likely to have a big impact on his team. “You have to be ready for anything because we are not in our country and when you are away from home, anything can happen, so we just have to stay focused and not let these changes affect our plans,” Habimana said. Zamalek qualified for this year’s edition of the Caf Confederation Cup after they won the Egypt Cup last season. They were one of the clubs drawn in the first round of Africa’s second tier club competition by Caf. editorial@newtimes.co.rw