Shobeir Reveals New Details on Abou Rida's Request to Expand Champions League Slots

Ahmed Shobeir has dropped a bombshell, revealing new and undisclosed details regarding Engineer Hani Abou Rida's efforts to reshape African competitions. Shobeir confirmed that secret communications and arrangements with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to increase the number of clubs participating in the Champions League and Confederation Cup have already begun behind the scenes, gaining momentum before this proposal is officially made public. In televised statements on Al-Nahar channel, Shobeir disclosed that Abou Rida's efforts included repeated discussions with CAF President Patrice Motsepe to implement this proposal, citing the significant progress and remarkable performance of African teams in the 2026 World Cup. He added that Motsepe has agreed to the proposal in principle, but clarified that it needs to be presented to the CAF Executive Committee, which will hold a meeting in less than 10 days to make a final decision on whether to approve the increase or maintain the current system. Shobeir noted that there is currently a lack of a decisive majority within the Executive Committee to approve the proposal, but Motsepe's strong influence could tip the scales amid expectations of intensive consultations soon before the official announcement. The Egyptian Football Association had previously announced in an official statement that Hani Abou Rida submitted a formal request to CAF to increase the number of clubs participating in the African Champions League and the Confederation Cup.