Minute’s silence sparks dispute between Zamalek and ZED

Zamalek’s match against ZED on Wednesday evening at the Arab Contractors Stadium, in the group stage of the Egypt Capital Cup, was disrupted by a dispute over the minute of silence before kick-off.

Before the match, players from both teams were expected to pay tribute to Nasr Ibrahim, a former Zamalek player. The club had secured approval from the Egyptian Professional Clubs Association to dedicate the minute to his memory.

But during the tribute, the stadium announcer at Arab Contractors said it was dedicated to the father of Mostafa Kamal, ZED’s goalkeeping coach. The announcement angered Zamalek officials.

Abdel Nasser Mohamed, the club’s football director, protested the decision. He said Zamalek had previously obtained the Association’s approval to dedicate the minute to Nasr Ibrahim. The disagreement therefore surfaced before the match began, over whom the silence was intended to honour.