Why Polish winger Konrad Michalak is ineligible to feature for Zamalek against Kenya Police

Polish winger Konrad Michalak will miss Zamalek's CAF Confederation Cup clashes against Kenya Police affecting the team's offensive options.

Polish winger Konrad Michalak will miss both legs of the 2024/2025 CAF Confederation Cup clash against Kenya Police after being acquired late by Egyptian giants Zamalek on a season-long loan.

Despite the club's efforts to bolster their squad, Michalak's ineligibility arises due to missing the registration deadline set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

Michalak was set to arrive in Cairo on Friday, but even upon official signing, he will be ineligible to play as he would have missed the second registration period for CAF matches.

Players entering from the second preliminary round were supposed to meet the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) deadline on 31 August 2024.

A board member of the Saudi club Ohod FC, Abdulrahman Ali, confirmed the transfer.

“We received many offers for Konrad, and we chose Zamalek because it is a prestigious and large club and the best of the offers," he said as quoted by KingFut.

"Everything has been finalized with Zamalek, and the player will officially transfer after completing some procedures on a season-long loan, which will be announced immediately," Ali added.

"Konrad is a great and distinguished player, and we had no intention of selling him. However, after receiving the offers, we decided to study them, especially since he will be playing in a major league like the Egyptian Premier League.

"Ohod Club will not cover Konrad’s salary, and the player will arrive in Cairo today, Thursday,” he concluded.

Michalak, 26, began his career with Polish giants Legia Warsaw before moving on to represent several clubs across Europe.

His career includes stints at Russia's Akhmat Grozny and Turkish clubs MKE Ankaragücü, Çaykur Rizespor, and Konyaspor.

In September 2023, he joined Ohod FC for €1.1 million, making 32 appearances for the Saudi second-tier club, scoring nine goals and providing three assists.

On the international stage, Michalak was called up to the Polish national team in June 2022 and was on the bench for a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in the UEFA Nations League A.

Zamalek has been very active in the summer transfer window, signing Omar Faraj, Mahmoud Bentayg, and Mohamed Hamdi.

However, the Aaron Boupendza deal seems to have collapsed, prompting the club to seek alternatives. Michalak was brought in to fill the void left by the Gabonese forward's failed transfer.

Despite the promising addition, Michalak did not travel with the team and will not be available for the upcoming matches against Kenya Police.

The ineligibility is a significant setback for Zamalek, who were hoping to strengthen their squad ahead of the CAF Confederation Cup fixtures.

Kenya Police eliminated Ethiopia Coffee in the preliminary round following a 1-0 win on aggregate, while Zamalek were handed a bye.

The Egyptian club was looking to make a strong start in the competition, and the absence of their new signing could pose a challenge.

The CAF regulations stipulate strict deadlines for player registration, and missing these deadlines renders new signings ineligible for the current round of matches.