Zamalek clear final hurdles in African licence race after settling FIFA cases

Zamalek have announced they have resolved all outstanding FIFA disputes linked to their African club licensing, in a major step towards taking up their place in next season’s CAF Champions League.

The Cairo club secured qualification for the continent’s premier competition by winning the Egyptian Premier League title last season, but faced a serious risk to their participation because of sanctions imposed by FIFA over unpaid dues to former players and coaches.

Zamalek vice-chairman Hisham Nasr confirmed that the board has now closed every case affecting the African licence file at world governing body FIFA, after paying all sums required to meet the Confederation of African Football’s licensing criteria.

Speaking to the club’s official app “Zamalkawy” on Thursday, Nasr said: “The board of directors, headed by captain Hussein Labib, placed this file at the top of its priorities in the recent period, in order to guarantee Zamalek obtain the African licence and participate in continental competitions without any obstacles.”

Key disputes settled

Nasr explained that a dedicated committee led by club president Hussein Labib had been formed to secure the funds needed to settle the debts that were blocking the licence.

“We formed a committee chaired by captain Hussein Labib, the club president, which has worked in the past period on providing and collecting the financial amounts required to close this file completely,” Nasr said.

He revealed that Zamalek have paid outstanding amounts owed to Ukrainian club Oleksandriya and to former player Ibrahima Ndiaye, bringing both disputes to a definitive close in relation to the African licence.

“We succeeded in paying the dues of FC Oleksandriya of Ukraine, in addition to the dues of the player Ibrahima Ndiaye, so the two cases have been closed completely with regard to the African licence,” he added.

Nasr described the two cases as “extremely difficult”, stressing that the club had to overcome resistance and complications from “external parties” before finally resolving the issues.

Board effort to avoid continental ban

Zamalek had been under pressure to act swiftly, with the unsettled liabilities threatening to prevent the club from securing the licence required to play in CAF tournaments, despite their domestic success.

Sanctions from FIFA over overdue payments to former coaches and players had placed the Egyptian champions at risk of missing out on the Champions League, unless they could prove full compliance with financial and regulatory obligations.

According to Nasr, the successful resolution is the culmination of a concerted effort from the club’s hierarchy to restore compliance with international regulations and protect Zamalek’s continental status.

“This achievement came after a great effort from the board of directors, which was keen to fulfil all obligations required in this file,” he said, emphasising that the outcome “reflects the club’s commitment to applying the regulations and preserving Zamalek’s right to participate in continental competitions.”

Focus on stability and future campaigns

While the club has not publicly disclosed the exact sums involved in the settlements with FC Oleksandriya and Ibrahima Ndiaye, the announcement signals that Zamalek believe they have now met all financial conditions attached to their African licence application.

Nasr concluded by underlining that the current board intends to continue addressing any remaining financial or legal issues to secure long-term stability for the club and support the first team’s ambitions.

He said the board will “continue working on settling all files in a way that achieves stability for the club and supports the team’s journey in the coming period.”

Subject to CAF’s formal licensing procedures, the resolution of these FIFA cases puts Zamalek in a strong position to confirm their presence in next season’s CAF Champions League, where they will seek to build on their domestic title with a fresh challenge on the African stage.