Pyramids to Replace Zamalek in Egyptian Super Cup

Zamalek’s starting eleven pose for a group picture during the Lusail Super Cup football match against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal at the Lusail Stadium on the outskirts of Qatar’s capital Doha on September 9, 2022. (AFP)
Zamalek’s starting eleven pose for a group picture during the Lusail Super Cup football match against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal at the Lusail Stadium on the outskirts of Qatar’s capital Doha on September 9, 2022. (AFP)
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Pyramids to Replace Zamalek in Egyptian Super Cup

Zamalek’s starting eleven pose for a group picture during the Lusail Super Cup football match against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal at the Lusail Stadium on the outskirts of Qatar’s capital Doha on September 9, 2022. (AFP)
Zamalek’s starting eleven pose for a group picture during the Lusail Super Cup football match against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal at the Lusail Stadium on the outskirts of Qatar’s capital Doha on September 9, 2022. (AFP)

Pyramids club will play Al-Ahly in the Egyptian Super Cup match in Abu Dhabi on Friday after Egyptian champions Zamalek decided not to take part, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said.

Zamalek are protesting against a number of decisions by EFA, including that their former forward Kahraba is allowed to play for Al-Ahly despite being banned for 12 matches for allegedly chanting insults about Zamalek after the Cairo derby in January.

Kahraba has denied any wrongdoing and his ban was suspended until a local court meets on May 14.

"The EFA Board agreed to Pyramids participation as the runner-up in the League last season," EFA said late on Tuesday.

The Super Cup will be a repeat of last month's Egyptian Cup final in which Al-Ahly beat Pyramids 2-1.

Pyramids are bidding to win their first major title.



Goran Ivanisevic Says He No Longer Will Be Coaching Elena Rybakina After the Australian Open 

Goran Ivanisevic watches the men's singles semifinal match between Italy's Jannik Sinner and Serbia's Novak Djokovic on day twelve of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 14, 2023. (AP)
Goran Ivanisevic watches the men's singles semifinal match between Italy's Jannik Sinner and Serbia's Novak Djokovic on day twelve of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 14, 2023. (AP)
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Goran Ivanisevic Says He No Longer Will Be Coaching Elena Rybakina After the Australian Open 

Goran Ivanisevic watches the men's singles semifinal match between Italy's Jannik Sinner and Serbia's Novak Djokovic on day twelve of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 14, 2023. (AP)
Goran Ivanisevic watches the men's singles semifinal match between Italy's Jannik Sinner and Serbia's Novak Djokovic on day twelve of the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Friday, July 14, 2023. (AP)

Goran Ivanisevic's brief stint as 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina's coach is over now that she is out of the Australian Open.

Ivanisevic, a Wimbledon winner himself in 2001, posted a brief statement on social media Tuesday, saying: “After our trial period that finished with Australian Open, I wish Elena and her team best of luck moving forward.”

The sixth-seeded Rybakina, a runner-up in Australia two years ago, was eliminated in the fourth round by Madison Keys on Monday.

Rybakina's coaching situation is complicated: She announced right before last year’s US Open that she no longer was working with her long-time coach, Stefano Vukov, and hired Ivanisevic ahead of this season.

Then, just before the Australian Open, Rybakina said Vukov would be rejoining her team — and the WTA Tour said Vukov was provisionally suspended, “pending an independent investigation into a potential breach of the WTA code of conduct.”

Ivanisevic coached Novak Djokovic to a dozen Grand Slam titles together before they split in March 2024.