Egypt: two Zamalek players detained in Abu Dhabi
Zamalek players Mostafa Shalaby and Nabil Emad Dunga, along with sporting director Abdelwahid El-Sayed, have all been taken into custody
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Zamalek are in turmoil. Mostafa Shalaby and Nabil Emad Dunga, players for the Egyptian side, along with sporting director Abdelwahid El-Sayed, were all three taken into custody in Abu Dhabi on Monday over an alleged assault on a security guard during the Egyptian Super Cup semi-final against Pyramids FC on Sunday 20 October (1-1, 5-4 on penalties).
What happened
According to information relayed by Egyptian outlet KingFut, an altercation lies behind the detention of the three members of the Zamalek delegation. It reportedly all started when midfielder Nabil Emad, injured and ruled out of the match against Pyramids, tried to go down onto the pitch while he was in the stands.
The attempt was stopped by the security guard stationed in that area of the stadium, but Emad apparently refused to comply. Shalaby and El-Sayed, who came over to check on him, are said not to have been gentle with the security guard either, and he filed a complaint of assault with the police. They took the three people concerned in for questioning on Monday and there has been no word from them since. That is a worry for Zamalek officials, who are threatening to return to Egypt.
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Will Zamalek boycott the final?
Thanks to their penalty shootout win over Pyramids, Zamalek secured their place in the Egyptian Super Cup final, where they are due to face Al Ahly on Thursday 24 October in Abu Dhabi. But with three members of their delegation in pre-trial detention, the club said earlier on Tuesday that it is considering boycotting the final and returning to Egypt.
"An urgent meeting is currently taking place between the club president, Hussein Labeeb, and the treasurer, Hossam El Mandouh, who is also the head of the delegation, to discuss the possibility of withdrawing from the Egyptian Super Cup and returning to Cairo as soon as possible because of the unfavourable conditions and unbearable pressure the team is facing. The club president and the head of the delegation have been at the police station since early morning because of the authorities' decision to arrest some players and the management's firm stance not to abandon them", Zamalek spokesman Ahmed Salem wrote on social media.