Zamalek Club is preparing for a strong confrontation against CS Belouizdad, today, Friday, April 17, 2026, in the second leg of the African Confederation Cup semi-final, at Cairo International Stadium.
The white team hopes to secure a ticket to the final, benefiting from its victory in the first leg with a goal without a response, despite the challenges it faces in terms of absences.
The list of absences hits the starting lineup
Zamalek enters the match amid the significant absences of a number of its key players, which may force the technical staff, led by Motamed Gamal, to rearrange its cards. Among those absent is goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhi, who is absent due to a two-match suspension after being sent off in a previous match in the quarter-finals.
The team is also missing the efforts of Amr Nasser as a result of a hamstring injury, an injury that kept him from participating in the recent training sessions. On the technical side, the coaching staff decided to exclude Ahmed Hamdy and Saif Jaafar, in addition to Mohamed Hamad and Youssef Wael “French,” for reasons related to the technical vision and match plan.
Doubts about the readiness of some offensive elements
On the other hand, there are doubts about the participation of player Juan Bezerra, who is considered one of the team’s most prominent offensive cards, as he suffers from a strain in the back muscle that he suffered during the first leg. The player underwent an intensive rehabilitation program over the past few days, in an attempt to catch up with the match, but his final position has not been decided conclusively.
In the same context, Chico Panza’s position remains ambiguous, in light of conflicting reports about his readiness. While some sources indicate that he has recovered from the knee injury, other reports confirm that he has not yet reached full medical readiness, which makes his participation in doubt until the last moments before the start of the match.
