Zamalek booked their place in the second preliminary round of the 2026–2027 CAF Champions League after defeating Djibouti’s AS Port 4-0, securing a 6-1 aggregate victory to set up a clash against Rwandan champions APR FC.
Abdallah El Said established himself as the star of the match by netting three of Zamalek’s goals, steering the White Knights into the playoff round for a spot in the CAF Champions League group stage.
Abdallah El Said’s Milestones Following AS Port Hat-Trick
Abdallah El Said scored in African competitions for the first time since his goal against Kaizer Chiefs in the CAF Confederation Cup on February 14, bringing his career continental tally to 29 goals and consolidating his ranking as the third highest Egyptian goalscorer in African club competitions.
The 41-year-old reached 30 direct goal contributions in a Zamalek shirt across 97 appearances in all competitions, recording 19 goals and 11 assists since joining the White Knights.
This marks El Said’s first hat-trick with Zamalek and his first overall since scoring three goals against Tanta in the Egyptian Premier League in 2020 while playing for Pyramids FC. He also becomes the fifth player to score a Champions League hat-trick for Zamalek, following Gamal Abdel-Hamid, Abdel-Haleem Ali, Ahmed Sayed “Zizo”, and Nasser Mansi.
Zamalek vs APR FC Fixture Schedule
The first leg between Zamalek and APR FC is scheduled to take place between Friday, October 16, and Sunday, October 18, 2026, according to the calendar published by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The decisive second leg will take place between October 23 and October 25, with final dates and kickoff times to be confirmed later. The winner on aggregate will secure a berth in the group stage.
APR FC Await Zamalek as Kitara Face Al Ahly
APR FC qualified following a strong comeback against Congolese side Eagles FC. After losing the first leg 1-0 away, the Rwandan champions secured a 3-0 home victory to advance 3-1 on aggregate. APR FC enter the tie as reigning Rwandan champions after completing a domestic treble last season.
The fixture holds historic memories for Zamalek, who thrashed APR FC 6-0 in Cairo during the 2002 edition before playing out a goalless draw in the return leg, eventually progressing to claim their fifth CAF Champions League title.
In the CAF Confederation Cup, Al Ahly’s second preliminary round opponent was confirmed as Uganda’s Kitara FC. The first leg will be played away from Cairo between October 16 and October 18, while Al Ahly will host the return leg between October 23 and October 25 to decide group stage qualification.
