Egyptian international Mahmoud Saber scored a goal in the first half, leading Egyptian Pyramids to a 1-0 victory over hosts Merreikh Benito, champions of South Sudan, at Juba International Stadium, on Friday, in the opening of the first leg of the round of 32 matches of the African Football Champions League.
The return match between the two teams will be held in Cairo on October 24th.
The match was mid-level, and Pyramids imposed more control, and translated its superiority into a goal after half an hour of play, scored by Saber with a shot from inside the penalty area.
Al-Merreikh Benito made a number of attempts to equalize, and his players demanded a penalty kick before the 80th minute, but the match referee indicated that play should continue.
Pyramids defender Mahmoud Merhi was sent off in the 89th minute for receiving a second warning, confirming his absence from the return match at the June 30 Stadium in Cairo.
On Thursday, the Referees Committee of the Gulf Federation announced the appointments of the referees for the first round matches of the first group of the second edition of the Gulf Cup Under-17 Championship, which Qatar will host during the period from October 16 to November 4.
The media committee for the tournament said in a statement that Saudi referee Ali Al-Qahtani will officiate the opening match between the Qatari team and its Chinese counterpart, on Friday, at the Grand Hamad Stadium.
Al-Qahtani is assisted by his compatriots Saad Al-Shabrami and Muhammad Wazi, while the Saudi Abdullah Zarban takes over as the fourth referee and Abdullah Al-Balushi takes over as the referees’ evaluator.
The committee assigned the management of the second match between the UAE and Bahrain teams at Hamad Bin Khalifa Stadium to the Kuwaiti referee Daoud Al-Abdullah, assisted by his compatriot Shafi Al-Failakawi and the Iraqi Shaker Adeeb, while the Iraqi Laith Satami is the fourth official and Abdul Rahman Al-Omari is the referee evaluator.
The tournament will witness the participation of 10 teams playing 23 matches in the largest edition in terms of the number of participating teams, according to a statement by the Media Committee.
The competitions are held under the supervision of the local organizing committee in Qatar, in coordination with the Gulf Football Association.
Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, President of the Asian Football Confederation, renewed his full confidence in Saudi Arabia’s preparations to host the 2027 Asian Cup Finals, stressing that all preparations and equipment are proceeding according to the approved plans and timetables, without any change to the hosting arrangements at the present time.
Sheikh Salman said in a statement to the German News Agency: “We are in continuous communication and coordination with the Saudi Football Association and the local organizing committee for the Asian Cup (Saudi Arabia 2027), and we are following with interest the various stages of preparations, and we feel very happy about the positive reports that we constantly receive, which reflect the volume of work and efforts made by our brothers in Saudi Arabia, and strengthen our confidence in their ability to present an exceptional and successful version of the continental championship.”
He added: “Saudi Arabia has organizational capabilities, advanced infrastructure, and great experience in hosting international sporting events, and we are confident that the 2027 Asian Cup will be a distinguished milestone in the history of the tournament, reflecting the growing status of Asian football.”
In response to a question about the possibility of developments that might affect the tournament arrangements, Sheikh Salman explained that talking about such possibilities is premature, and stressed that the AFC’s current priority is to continue working in accordance with the approved operational plans, and to ensure that all preparations for holding the tournament are completed on the specified date.
He said: “Our focus today is on continuing all operational plans and programs to host the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, and there are currently no developments that require changing the existing arrangements.”
He continued: “Of course, the AFC monitors all surrounding circumstances and always deals responsibly and flexibly with various circumstances, and will remain open to studying all options that guarantee the continuity and success of the tournament, if future developments require it, and any decisions that will be taken in this regard will be in full coordination and cooperation between the AFC and the Saudi side.”
He concluded his statements by emphasizing that the Asian Football Confederation is confidently looking forward to holding the 2027 Asian Cup in Saudi Arabia, praising the close cooperation and great efforts made by the concerned authorities to ensure the organization of a tournament worthy of the status of Asian football and the aspirations of its fans.
It is noteworthy that Saudi Arabia will host the 2027 Asian Cup Finals, from January 7 to February 5, 2027, with the participation of 24 Asian teams.
