Zamalek hoping fans can attend final

The Cairo International Stadium is set to host the second leg of the African Champions League final.

The Chairman of Egyptian club Zamalek is hoping a capacity crowd can watch the second leg of their African Champions League final in Cairo.

The clash with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns will be held at Cairo’s International Stadium on 23 October.

Large crowds have only been allowed at a few matches in Egypt since 2012, when 72 Al Ahly fans died in violence at a match in Port Said.

“I held talks with Egyptian presidency officials,” Mortada Mansour said.

“I talked with them to allow for 100,000 fans – they assured me they will discuss that with the Ministry of Interior.”

The official capacity of the stadium is 75,000 – but any significant crowd would be the largest at a match in recent years in Egypt.

Authorities allowed 40,000 people in to watch Egypt’s 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win over Nigeria in March this year.

And in December 2014 permission was granted for 20,000 to attend the second leg of Confederation Cup final, when Al Ahly overcame Sewe Sports of Ivory Coast.

It is thought as many as 50,000 supporters actually made it in to the stadium on that occasion.

Both of those matches were also played at the Cairo International Stadium.

There have been several attempts to allow fans back into football on a regular basis in Egypt, but each time further trouble has meant football attendance has been restricted again.

In 2015, 22 Zamalek supporters died in clashes with police in Cairo after violence flared before a game against city rivals ENPPI.

Zamalek, who have won the competition five times, qualified for their first Champions League final since 2002 with a 6-5 aggregate win over Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca.

The first leg of the final was due to be played in South Africa on 14 October but was delayed until the following day.

BBC SPORT