Algeria – Algerian club JS Kabylie expressed its strong dissatisfaction with the incident that occurred last Saturday at Cairo Stadium. The incident involved ticket sales to its fans for their match against Egyptian club Al Ahly. This match was part of the first round of the group stage in the CAF Champions League, which ended in a 4-1 victory for Al Ahly.
The Algerian club released an official statement on Facebook detailing the crisis. They deemed the behavior unacceptable and contrary to the principles of fair play.
Reducing the number of fans and ignoring CAF
JS Kabylie confirmed that a preliminary agreement was reached at the technical meeting held by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) before the match. An unlimited number of tickets will be allocated to their fans, with a commitment to open a dedicated ticket booth near the stadium. This was due to difficulties in purchasing tickets through the “Tazkarti” platform.
However, the statement expressed “great surprise” at the reduction of the allocation to only 750 tickets. The club considered this a clear disregard for CAF regulations, which stipulate that the away team must have at least 5% of the tickets. This allocation should be based on the total number of tickets available for sale, not just the number of tickets actually sold.
Attempts at a solution and the administration’s surprise
The club expressed its surprise at “the confusion that occurred between the tickets on the one hand, and the invitations and accreditations granted to the club on the other.” It noted that the procedures for receiving the delegation were “far below expectations.”
Despite the Kabylie president’s visit to Al Ahly’s headquarters and his presence alongside the fans outside the stadium, he explicitly confirmed that the club would fully cover the cost of the remaining tickets. The statement noted that “no constructive solutions were proposed.”
The JS Kabylie management concluded its statement by expressing its regret and apologizing for the incident. It thanked its fans for their attendance and patience. It called on the relevant authorities to intervene to ensure that “such transgressions are not repeated in the future” and that the rights of the fans are fully respected.
