Zamalek’s Transfer Freeze Deepens: The Three Coaches Behind the Ban and a Super Cup Showdown

Overview

Zamalek SC is navigating a renewed transfer suspension following FIFA’s intervention, traceable to three outstanding claims from members of the White Knights’ previous coaching cadre. The reported trio includes a Cameroonian assistant coach, a goalkeeping coach, and a fitness coach, all linked to Jose Gomes’ tenure. The amount currently cited stands at 60,000 USD, rising to 72,000 USD with accrued interest, underscoring a pressure point for the club’s administration during a challenging season.

According to exclusive sources within Zamalek, the three claims are connected to the club’s past staff: the assistant coach, the goalkeeping coach, and the conditioning coach. This financial exposure comes at a delicate moment, with the board led by Hussein Labib already grappling with the fallout from a landmark land dispute in 6th of October City and inconsistent on-pitch results that precipitated the coach’s departure. The situation elevates the club’s vulnerability as it heads toward a crucial winter window.

Roga Case and Administrative Pressure

Separately, the Egyptian Football Association’s players’ affairs committee ruled in favor of Mohamed Ashraf “Roga,” granting him back pay amounting to 5,002,361 EGP after years of delays. This decision paves the way for further legal disputes potentially jeopardizing Zamalek’s winter transfer plans, particularly amid ongoing financial and strategic tensions across the board.

Lawyer Ahmed El-Hefnawy stated that the ruling formally confirms Roga’s entitlement to the late dues, and his camp has signaled readiness to escalate if the club stalls payment. The threat to suspend registrations could be used as leverage until the debt is settled, placing added scrutiny on the club’s management ahead of January’s transfer activity.

Ultimately, the message from the lawyers is clear: the club must honor its financial commitments to avoid a blocking of transfers and to sustain any potential market activity in the upcoming window.

In parallel, Zamalek’s leadership appointed two Portuguese staff—Vítor Pereira as goalkeeper trainer and Costa Ribeiro as the conditioning coach—forming part of a temporary technical setup led by young coach Ahmed Abdel-Raouf. Pereira and Ribeiro arrived in Abu Dhabi ahead of the Super Cup semi-final against Pyramids, with the squad list announced for the competition in the next few days.

Super Cup Preparations and Squad

The finalized Zamalek squad for the Egyptian Super Cup includes: Goalkeepers Mohamed Sobhi, Mohamed El-Wadi, and Mehdi Soliman; defenders Omar El-Jaber, Barón Oshính, Mahmoud Hamdi “El-Wenesh,” Hisham Abdel-Majid, Mohamed Ismail, Salah Mosaed, Ahmad Fotouh, and Mahmoud Benayk; midfielders Ahmad Rabee, Mohamed Shahat, Mahmoud Ghaed, Saif Jaafar, Ahmed Abdul Rahim “Isho,” Abdullah El-Said, Ahmed Hamdi, Nasser Maher, Abdul Hamid Mualy, Ahmed Sharif, Shiko Panza, and João Perezira; forwards Adi El-Dabag, Saif El-Jaziri, and Amr Naser. The team’s ongoing preparations focus on the looming clash with Pyramids in Abu Dhabi as the club seeks to balance domestic obligations with transfer-market considerations.

Upcoming challenge and strategy ahead of January’s window remains the central thread as Zamalek navigates a delicate mix of financial obligations, managerial shifts, and high-stakes competition.

Punchline 1: If football had a debt clock, Zamalek would be ticking faster than the transfer rumors—at least the clock runs on a different time zone in Abu Dhabi. Punchline 2: They say football is a game of inches; apparently, in this saga, it’s a game of dollars, deadlines, and a dash of court drama.