الشياطين الحمر (The Red Devils) نادي القرن الإفريقي (African Club of the Century) القلعة الحمراء (The Red Castle) نادي الوطنية (Club of Patriotism) المارد الأحمر (The Red Giant)
Al-Ahly Sporting Club (Arabic:النادي الأهلي للرياضة البدنية), commonly known asAl-Ahly, which in English meansThe National, is anEgyptian professional sports club based inCairo,Egypt. The club is mainly known for its professionalfootball team which currently plays in theEgyptian Premier League, the highest tier in theEgyptian football league system. The club is renowned for its consistent success at both domestic and continental levels, regularly contending inCAF tournaments.
The first official meeting of the Al Ahly club's boardSaad Zaghloul, the minister of education, was the first honorary president of Al Ahly.
The idea of establishing Al-Ahly came in the first 10 years of the 20th century and was firstly raised by Omar Lotfy, who was a student in theEgyptian Law School during his presidency of the High School Students Club. The establishment of a club for high school students was for political reasons along with the students needing a sports club for them to gather for leisure and exercise.
He discussed the idea of establishing the club with a group of friends who were enthusiastic about it and in 1907, Al Ahly was established.[4]
The club was first headed byAlfred Mitchell-Innes, who was a British advisor to the Ministry of Finance at the time. He was the first head to facilitate financial support for the club. An official meeting of the club's board was held on 24 April 1907. The committee met at 5:30 pm in the house of Mitchell-Innes inGiza under his chairmanship and the membership of Idris Ragheb Bey, Ismael Seri Pasha, Amin Sami Pasha, Omar Lotfi Bek and Mohamed Effendi Sherif as secretary.[5]
After the establishment of the club was approved, the main building was designed by architect Ismail Seri, and revised by Mitchell-Innes. A civil company on the behalf of Al Ahly Sports Club was established. Shares of the company were worth £E5 each, and it was the goal of the club when it was established to raise £E5,000. Only £E3,165 were collected over a year which was not enough to fund the establishment. This forced the club to borrow £E1,000 from theNational Bank of Egypt in March 1908.Talaat Harb, the president of the Bank of Egypt, contributed £E100 to the establishment of the club.
The first honorary president of the club was the Minister of EducationSaad Zaghloul.[6] The name of Al Ahly Sporting Club was suggested by Amine Samy Amin, who suggested that the name is similar to the word "National" inEgyptian Arabic.[7] On 2 April 1908, Mitchell-Innes stepped down as president of the club.Aziz Ezzat was appointed as the new president and became the first Egyptian president of Al Ahly. The official opening ceremony of the club was held in its main building on 26 February 1909.
Mokhtar El Tetsh, one of the club legends, is the namesake of the club's old stadium and current training ground.
The game of football was not one of the goals of the founders of Al Ahly SC, but rather to open its doors to students of high schools to meet and practice political dialogues. However, the graduates of high schools who were members of the club developed a passion withfootball, which prompted the club to build the first stadium in 1909. At the time, they called itAl-Hawsh; colloquially meaningthe courtyard in Egyptian Arabic. The stadium was improved over the years, eventually becomingMokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium.[8]
The first official football team was established in 1911. The team was primary and secondary school players who played football in Al-Hawsh. The names of the first players of Al Ahly were as follows:Hussein Hegazi, Abdel Fattah Taher, Fouad Darwish, Hussein Mansour, and Ibrahim Fahmy.[9]
In 1915, Al-Ahly made tours to Egyptian cities to play matches and to spread football and its culture. Al Ahly played inAlexandria,Port Said,Assiut, andIsmailia. The team, led by Hussein Hegazi, faced many teams, including foreign teams belonging to theBritish Army, which increased the popularity of Al Ahly and the new game in Egypt.[10]Ahly contributed withZamalek SC,El Sekka El Hadid SC in the formation of the first football team of Egypt to participate in the1920 Olympic Games. The club also contributed to the establishment of theEgyptian Football Association.
First titles (1918–1948)
After Al-Ahly's refusal to compete withBritish clubs in theSultan Hussein Cup in its first edition in 1917, the club's management decided to participate in the 1918 championship as a sign of resistance and to display Egyptian presence in the sport.[11]In 1923, Al-Ahly won their first Sultan Hussain Cup after beating the defending championZamalek SC, with them winning six other titles to be the record holder in the number of wins until the last edition in 1938.[12]They also played an active role in the establishment of theEgyptian Tennis Federation.[13]The club followed their first win of the Sultan Hussain Cup with theKing Farouk Cup in 1924, defeatingEl Sekka El Hadid 4–1 in the final. The man of the match was Mokhtar Eltetsh, who scored two goals.[14]
Al Ahly squad in 1925 with the Sultan Hussein and King Farouk Cups
In the summer of 1929, Al-Ahly's football went on a tour where the team traveled to face several European clubs, such asFenerbahçe andGalatasaray inTurkey andBFC Preussen,1860 Munich andSchalke inGermany. The tour ended with Al Ahly playing the last two games inBulgaria againstLevski Sofia andSlavia Sofia.[15] In November 1930, Al-Ahly defeated rival Zamalek 4–0 in a match in theCairo League. In that game, Mokhtar El Tetsh was the first player to score a hat trick in theCairo Derby.[16] At the end of the 1936–1937 season, Al Ahly managed to win the league in the last round by defeating Zamalek 4–1, finishing three points ahead of their rivals. The club won theKing Farouk Cup with a 3–2 victory overEl Sekka El Hadid SC.[17]In 1938, Al Ahly won the last version of the Sultan Hussein Cup, with a 1–0 victory overAl Masry in the final match. The club won the Cairo League, again in the last round, with a 5–1 victory over the second placed Zamalek.[18][19]
The team traveled toMandatory Palestine in 1943 on a 23-day tour, headed by Mokhtar El Tetsh, to play several matches with Arab teams to support Palestine against theZionists.The decision had been made despite the refusal of the president of theEgyptian Football Association Haider Pasha, due to the pressure from the British position against the Palestinian issue.[20]
In the first edition of theEgyptian Premier League, held for the first time in1948, Al Ahly won the first match 5–0 againstGreek Alexandria. Ahmed Makkawi scored the first goal for Al Ahly in the history of the competition in the 11th minute. The first team to represent Al Ahly in the competition was composed of: Kamal Hamed –Abdulaziz Hamami – Muhammad Abu Habajah – Abdel Moneim Shatara – Sayed Othman – Hilmi Abu Al-Moaty –Fouad Sedki – Muhammad Lheta –Ahmed Mekkawi –Saleh Selim – Fathi Khattab. Mokhatr al Tetsh led Al Ahly to win the first championship in the club's history as a player and also led the club to win the first league in the club's history as a manager, achieving a double of the league and the cup for the first time after defeating Zamalek 3–1 in the 1949King Farouk Cup final. Toto,Hussein Madkour and Fathi Khattab scored for Al Ahly.[21]
The 1949–50 season was a historical superiority for Al Ahly, winning all the local championships. Al Ahly won theEgyptian Premier League after a tie in points withTersana. The league winner was decided by a play-off match with Al Ahly winning the match against Tersana 2–1. The club also won theCairo League, one point ahead of Tersana. In the Egypt Cup, Al Ahly defeated Tersana in the final 6–0.[22]
In the1950–51 season, Al Ahly won theleague for the third consecutive time despite the strong competition with Zamalek, as well as a difficult victory in theKing Farouk Cup final against El Sekka El Hadid.[23] Following the dethroning ofKing Farouk in the1952 revolution, Ahly appointedGamal Abdel Nasser as club honorary president.[24]
In the1951–52 season, the league championship was cancelled due to the Egyptian revolution that year, and to allow the national team to prepare for the1952 Summer Olympics. However, the Egypt Cup and theCairo League were played as normal. Al Ahly lost both tournaments to Zamalek. The league returned the following season and Al Ahly won the league for the fourth time in a row, with a narrow two-point lead ahead of Zamalek, after the two teams tied 2–2 in the last round. In the cup, Al Ahly managed to defeat the defending champions Zamalek 4–1 in the final.[25]
In the1953–54 season, Al Ahly won their fifth consecutive and fifth overall Egyptian Premier League title in the club's history.[26][27] In the cup, they were eliminated from the semi-final byAl Masry.[28]
In the1956–57 season, the number of teams increased to 14 teams, and Al Ahly managed to win the league nine points ahead of Zamalek, to win the seventh title in a row. It was the first time that the team had reached 40 points.[29] Al Ahly won the1958–59 league championship for the ninth time in a row.El-Sayed El-Dhizui became the first Al Ahly player to be the top goal scorer in the league. The team scored 55 goals in just 18 games that season, more than 20 goals from their nearest competitors.[30]
After losing the league for the first time since the start of the competition in the1959–60 season, Al Ahly won the league for the tenth time in the club's history, in the1960–61 season.[31] The club won the Egypt Cup after defeatingEl Qanah 5–0, withMimi El-Sherbini scoring two goals.[32]
First participation in African championships (1967–1980)
After the1967 Six-Day War and the suspension of sporting activity in Egypt, Al Ahly's board, headed by Ibrahim Kamel El-Wakil, announced that the club will host the military training for the members volunteering in theEgyptian Army, as well as collecting donations in the name of the club to support the military.[33]
Many players on the team retired to volunteer for the war. Al-Ahly did not win the league for another 13 years.
After years of deterioration, the club took the first steps in recovery when the management decided to signNándor Hidegkuti ashead coach in September 1973, at a salary of fewer than 600 dollars.[34] Hidegkuti introduced a new generation known asEl Talamza (the students). The league title returned to Al Ahly in1974–75, with the team scoring 70 goals in 34 games.[35] Al Ahly's first participation in theAfrican Champions League was in 1976. The team got knocked out from the first round byMC Alger. Al Khatib scored the first continental goal for Al Ahly.[36]
Al-Ahly won the Egyptian top-flight football league in1975–76[37] and1976–77. The latter season saw the second participation in African competition, where the team fared better than the first time. They eventually bowed out in the quarter-finals byAccra Hearts of Oak S.C.[38] From 1978 to 1980, Hidegkuti refused to take part in the CAF Champions League due to lack of financial resources and exhausting journeys in Africa.[39]
Invading Africa (1980–1990)
Zamalek remained ahead of Al-Ahly by six points in the 1981–82 Egyptian Premier League season. That season, a match won was counted in two points, not three. The last matches in the competition witnessed a dip in form by Zamalek with Al Ahly managing to win the championship with three points ahead of them, after a goallessCairo derby draw in the last round. Al Ahly reached the semi-final of1981 African Cup of Champions Clubs but withdrew due to the assassination of the PresidentAnwar Sadat.[40]
Al Ahly Players with the 1982 CAF Champions League
Al Ahly won the1982 African Cup of Champions Clubs, known today as theCAF Champions League, defeatingAsante Kotoko S.C. in the final. The first leg was held on 28 November at the Cairo Stadium in front of 60,000 spectators. They won the first leg 3–0. The second leg was held on 12 December inKumasi,Ghana, and was attended by more than 70,000 spectators. In the second leg, the game ended tied 1–1. Al Ahly during this edition of the tournament played ten games, achieved victory in all five games at home, lost two games and tied in three away. The biggest win was a 5–0 victory againstYoung Africans S.C. in the round of 16. The club scored 16 goals and conceded five goals only in this tournament.[41]Al Ahly reached the final of theAfrican Champions League for the second time in a row in 1983, but Asante Kotoko S.C. won the finals by scoring the only goal of both matches in the second match. The first leg was played on 27 November at Cairo Stadium with 90,000 spectators, with one of the attendees being the former Egyptian presidentHosni Mubarak, and ended tied 0–0. The second leg took place on 11 December in Kumasi with 70,000 spectators, and ended with a 0–1 loss.
Al-Ahly reached a continental final again in 1984, this time in theAfrican Cup Winners' Cup againstCanon Yaoundé. Al-Ahly won on penalties after a 1–1 draw in both games.[42] The 1984–85 season was one of the best seasons in the history of Al Ahly, as the club won the cup and the league, as well as winning the African Cup Winners Cup for the second time in a row by defeatingLeventis United 2–1 on aggregate.[43] For the third time in a row, Al Ahly won theAfrican Cup Winners' Cup in 1986 after winning the league, by defeatingAS Sogara in the final 3–2 on aggregate.[44]
Al-Ahly won the Egyptian League in the1986–87 season under the management of the coachTaha Ismail. Al Ahly won the league being two points ahead of Zamalek after being tied in the standings before the last match. The club was able to beat Zamalek in the last round 2–1.[45]
Al-Ahly won the1987 African Cup of Champions Clubs by defeatingAl-Hilal Club in the final. The first leg was a 0–0 draw played on 29 November in the Sudanese capitalKhartoum, attended by 50,000 Sudanese and 500 Egyptian spectators. The second leg was held on 18 December at the Cairo Stadium in the presence of 80,000 spectators, with Al Ahly winning 2–0. Three days after the match, club legendMahmoud El Khatib decided to retire after 17 years at the club, in a press conference attended by a large crowd of journalists.[46]
Arab tournament success and boycotting CAF (1990–2005)
In 1992, Al-Ahly won the Egypt Cup title by defeating the league champions Zamalek 2–1 in the final.[47] After winning the cup for the third time in a row in 1993, Al Ahly returned to Africa by winning theAfrican Cup Winners' Cup for the fourth time in its history in 1993, which was the last time the club participated in the tournament. Al Ahly defeatedAfrica Sports d'Abidjan in the final inCairo Stadium after a 1–1 draw in the first leg. In the same season, the club won the Egypt Cup by beatingGhazl El Mahalla SC 3–2 in the final.[48][49]
After three years without winning the league, Al-Ahly won the league in the1993–94 season under the management ofAlan Harris after a strong competition withIsmaily SC, which was only decided by a playoff match in which the club won 4–3 in Alexandria.[50]
Al-Ahly participated in the Arab Championships for the first time in 1994 after a decision to boycott the African tournaments due to weak financial returns and complaints about the refereeing decisions in the1994 CAF Super Cup. Al Ahly won the1994 Arab Cup Winners' Cup by defeatingAl Shabab in the final 1–0.[51] After leading Al Ahly to their second consecutive league title and the Arab Super Cup in Morocco,Reiner Hollmann left Al Ahly at the end of 1997, after finishing second in the1997 Arab Club Champions Cup in Tunisia. He was replaced by his countrymanRainer Zobel, who succeeded in winning the league championship for the fifth consecutive season in1997–98 and winning the1998 Arab Super Cup title with Zobel for the second successive season, beatingMC Oran andAl-Shabab, and drawing withClub Africain.In 1998, Al Ahly returned to the African championships for the first time in six years.[52]
In the summer of 2001, Al-Ahly signedManuel José to take on the leadership of the team, the first time in the club's history to have a Portuguese manager. Jose's first match with Al-Ahly was a friendly againstReal Madrid in August 2001, when Al Ahly stunned Madrid with a 1–0 win at the Cairo Stadium.[53]This was the fourth time Al Ahly had defeated a European champion, the others being a 3–2 victory overBenfica in 1963, a 2–1 win againstBayern Munich in 1977, and a 3–0 win againstSteaua București in 1986.[54]
Al-Ahly won the African Champions League title after a 4–1 on aggregate victory overMamelodi Sundowns. The first leg was held on 8 December at theLoftus Versfeld Stadium in the South African capitalPretoria, and ended in a 1–1 draw. The second leg was held on 21 December at the Cairo International Stadium in the presence of 75,000 spectators, and ended with a 3–0 win for Al Ahly.[55]
Al-Ahly also won the2002 CAF Super Cup with a 4–1 victory overKaizer Chiefs F.C. in Cairo, in a match that saw Al Ahly's goalkeeperEssam El Hadary scoring his historic goal. Manuel Jose was unable to collect any local championships in his first term,[56] although his team was able to achieve an emphatic 6–1 victory against the defending champion Zamalek in the league. At the end of the season, Jose was sacked and replaced by the DutchmanJohannes Bonfrere on a one-year contract, on a monthly salary of $18,000. The club's decision to sack Jose was not liked by the majority of the fans.[57][58]
Golden era (2005–2013)
Al-Ahly achieved victory in all the matches of the first 14 rounds of the2004–05 Egyptian Premier League, to win the Premier League title for the 29th time in the club history and the first local championship for the Portuguese coach Manuel José who was rehired by the club. Al Ahly won the league by a record 31-point difference fromEnppi, the closest competitor. It was the first time that a club won all their matches in the first half of a season since the league began in 1948.[59]
Al Ahly fans celebrating after winning the 2005 CAF Champions League
With their Champions League triumph, the team would go on to set an unprecedented record of going an entire season unbeaten in all competitions. 46 matches were played in theEgyptian Premier League,[60]Egypt Cup,Egyptian Super Cup, and theCAF Champions League combined, with the club completing a quadruple winning all the aforementioned competitions. The club also set another record of not losing in 52 games in 852 days. Al Ahly made their first appearance at aFIFA Club World Cup inDecember 2005, but had an unsuccessful campaign as the team lost toAl-Ittihad in the first round and then lost the fifth-place match toSydney FC.[61]
The2006–07 season was successful, starting with the Egyptian Super Cup for the second time with another win over Enppi, with a goal in the stoppage time. The club also won the league for the second time in a row. Al Ahly returned to the Egyptian Cup with a 3–0 win overZamalek SC, achieving adomestic treble.
Al-Ahly performed well in the CAF Super Cup by reaching the final againstCS Sfaxien, drawing the first leg 1–1 in the Cairo Stadium. After the match, CS Sfaxien were considered favorites to win the cup. The second leg against CS Sfaxien ended in a 1–0 win for Al Ahly.
The club then participated in the2006 FIFA Club World Cup in their second appearance. Al Ahly's participation this time was better compared to their previous one, as they defeatedAuckland City FC in the quarter-final 2–0. The team played in the semi-finals against Brazilian clubInternacional, losing 2–1. The club managed to achieve the bronze medal for the first time in African history by defeatingClub América 2–1 inYokohama.[62]
Al-Ahly played the2007 CAF Super Cup on 18 February at theAddis Ababa Stadium as the champion of the2006 CAF Champions League against theES Sahel, the champion of the2006 CAF Confederation Cup. Al Ahly suffered from many absentees at this stage due to injuries. However, the match went to penalties after the extra time ended with a goalless draw, which Al Ahly won 5–4 on shootout. After achieving the Super Cup title, the club equalled the record set by Zamalek with 3 Super Cup titles, before adding three other titles to set a new record. Al Ahly also set another record as the club with most participations in the African Super Cup (8 times).[63]
Al Ahly continued winning the league title, winning theEgyptian Premier League for the 4th consecutive time by 17 points away fromIsmaily SC. The team also won the Super Cup for the fourth time in a row by beating Zamalek 2–0. It was the second victory in a week for Ahly over Zamalek after their meeting in theCAF Champions League a week earlier. Al Ahly won the CAF Champions league for the sixth time with a 4–2 win on aggregate overCoton Sport FC de Garoua in the final, after finishing the first leg with a 2–0 win and drawing in the second leg 2–2. The club set off for the Club World Cup again, but lost againstC.F. Pachuca andAdelaide Football Club.[64]
The club started the 2008–09 season winning theCAF Super Cup after defeating CS Sfaxien 2–1, before starting the race to the league's shield withIsmaily. The two teams played a playoff match to determine the champion, which Al Ahly won 1–0.[65]It was the last championship for Manuel José during his second term before handing over the team's leadership toHossam El-Badry.[66] El Badry managed to keep the 2009–10 league shield in Al Ahly's cupboard to become the first national coach to win the league championship for the club in 23 years. Al Ahly won the Egyptian Super Cup by defeatingHaras El Hodoud SC 1–0.
The sports activity in Egypt was postponed because of thePort Said Stadium riot, which resulted in the deaths of 74 people including 72 Al Ahly fans and caused the injuries of more than 500 people. In the first match after the return of sports activity, Al Ahly won the Egyptian Super Cup after defeating Enppi 2–1, in a mourn-driven match at the empty stadium ofBorg El Arab Stadium. Despite the difficult events, Al Ahly players overcame the circumstances and defeated Esperance in the2012 CAF Champions League Final. The first leg finished 1–1 at theBorg El Arab Stadium. A 2–1 second leg victory to Al Ahly at theStade Olympique de Radès added the seventh African champions title in the history of the club.[68][69]
Hossam el-Badri left the team toMohamed Youssef, who lead Al-Ahly to the2013 CAF Champions League title for the eighth time by beating the South African clubOrlando Pirates 2–0 in the second leg match, after a 1–1 draw in the first leg.[72]
Mahmoud Taher era (2014–2017)
Al-Ahly made their way to theAfrican Confederations Cup after an early exit from theChampions League. Al Ahly reached the final againstSéwé FC but lost the first leg 2–1. In the return match, the score was 0–0 until the sixth minute of stoppage time, when Al Ahly'sEmad Moteab scored a goal with a header in the dying minutes which made coachJuan Carlos Garrido running with celebration onto the pitch. Garrido was later sacked after the club was eliminated from theCAF Champions League on penalties toMoghreb Tétouan.[73]
Al-Ahly's form declined after most of the stars of the older generation retired, resulting in losses in a number of tournaments. The team regained balance when they met Zamalek in the Super Cup held inDubai for the first time at the end of 2015.
Al Ahly fansTifo before the Egyptian Super Cup in 2015
After not winning the 2014–15 league title, Al Ahly won the 2015–16 league with a seven-point difference between the defending champions Zamalek. Al Ahly finished the competition under the leadership of DutchmanMartin Jol, who replaced the Portuguese coachJose Peseiro.[75]Al Ahly won the league title for the 39th time in the club's history before the end of the league with four rounds. The team managed to go 39th games in a row unbeaten in all competitions, setting a record of 30 games unbeaten in the league, however Al Ahly reached the final of the2016 Egypt Cup and lost to rival Zamalek SC in a 3–1 defeat, leading to Al Ahly failing to win their 36th Egypt Cup. Under the leadership of Hossam El-Badry, Al Ahly was able to keep a clean sheet in 30 games that season in all competitions.[76]
Al-Ahly reached the final of the2017 CAF Champions League, drawing 1–1 with Wydad AC at Borg El Arab Stadium. Wydad later hosted Al Ahly atStade Mohammed V inCasablanca, where Al Ahly was defeated 1–0 and failed to secure the 9th CAF Champions League trophy.
Mahmoud El Khatib era and return to African success (2017–)
On 1 December 2017,Mahmoud El Khatib was elected as the new club president. El-Khatib won the polls ahead of Mahmoud Taher with 20,956 votes. Taher, who had been president since 2014 until 2017, collected 13,182 votes. In the race of vice-presidency, former Egyptian sports minister El Amry Farouk won with 19,923 votes with Mustafa Fahmy receiving 14,269 votes.[78]
Al-Ahly won theEgyptian Super Cup title for the ten time in its history, after defeatingAl Masry SC 1–0.The winning goal was scored byWalid Azaro in the 12th minute of the first extra half of the match, which gave Al Ahly the title, also making Walid the first Moroccan and foreigner to score in the tournament.[79]
The next season, the club managed to clinch theEgyptian Premier League for the third consecutive season under the leadership of the managerHossam El-Badry, and 40th in its history. Al-Ahly officially won the title 6 weeks before the end of the championship, achieving the second fastest league in its history after the2004–05 Egyptian Premier League season.[80]
On 9 April 2019, Al-Ahly was knocked out of the2018–19 CAF Champions League in the quarter-finals after suffering a 5–0 loss in the first leg to South Africa's Mameloudi Sundowns. In the second leg, Al Ahly won 1–0 but the score on aggregate was 5–1. This loss was the club's biggest loss since 1942 and in the CAF Champions League tournament. This loss resulted in the club's board deducting 10% of the players salary for a year. Many even criticized Martin Lasarte saying he was mostly responsible for the loss.
Al-Ahly managed to win the2018–19 Egyptian Premier League title for the fourth consecutive season and for the 41st in its history under the leadership of the Uruguayan managerMartín Lasarte, after defeatingAl Mokawloon Al Arab 3–1. This result put Ahly five points clear of their rivals Zamalek with one game of the league season left.[81]Al-Ahly won the 2018–19 league title despite a rough start, as results eventually improved and winter signings helped with team performance. The 2018–19 league win raised the club trophies to 136, making Al Ahly the most crowned club in world football with 20 continental titles; nine Champions Leagues, oneConfederation Cup, fourCup Winners' Cups, sixSuper Cups and oneAfro-Asian Club Championship. As of 2019, Al Ahly has wonCAF Champions League in1982,1987,2001,2005,2006,2008,[82]2012 and in2013; making them the most crowned team in Africa.[83]
On 31 August 2019,René Weiler was named the new coach of Al-Ahly. Weiler replaced Martin Lasarte who was sacked despite guiding Al Ahly to win the league title with a game to spare.[84] Weiler was able to win his first title with the club in less than one month as Al Ahly managed to win theEgyptian Super Cup for the 11th time in the club history after defeating Zamalek 3–2 on 20 September 2019 at theBorg El Arab Stadium.[85] On 18 September, afterZamalek's loss toAswan SC, Al Ahly won their 42nd Egyptian Premier League title in the2019–20 season and was the second title for Weiler before leaving the club and being replaced byPitso Mosimane.[86] On 27 November, Al Ahly faced rival Zamalek in the2020 CAF Champions League Final, winning 2–1.[87]Magdy scored the winning goal for Al-Ahly in the 86th minute to win Al-Ahly's ninth CAF Champions League title and their first since2013. About a week later, Al-Ahly defeatedTala'ea El Gaish SC in theEgypt Cup final 3–2 on penalties. With this victory, Al Ahly won the treble for the third time in their history, and becoming the first African team to complete thecontinental treble three times.[88][89]
With Al-Ahly qualified for the2020 FIFA Club World Cup, they defeated hostsAl-Duhail in the first match of the tournament, sending Al-Ahly to its first official match with the European championsBayern Munich in theSemi-finals.[90][91] Bayern defeated Al Ahly 2–0.[92] Al Ahly managed to secure the bronze medal for the second time in the club's history after defeatingPalmeiras, the winners of the2020 Copa Libertadores in theThird place play-off, becoming the first and only Arab or African team to have won two medals in the tournament.[93]
On 21 September 2021, Al-Ahly lost theEgyptian Super Cup toTala'ea El Gaish in a 3–2 defeat on penalties,[96] This resulted in a disciplinary action by the club's board, deducting £E300,000 from the players, football director, and the entirety of the coaching staff salaries.[97] The deduction was later lifted after Al-Ahly beat Zamalek 5–3 in theCairo derby on 5 November 2021.[98]
On 22 December 2021, Al-Ahly won its eigththCAF Super Cup after beatingRaja CA 6–5 on penalties.[99]
Al-Ahly qualified to the2021 FIFA Club World Cup in theUnited Arab Emirates as the champions of Africa. Al Ahly won the first match 1–0 against theCONCACAF Champions League winnersMonterrey of Mexico despite having many players missing due to injuries, along with some of the club's players participating with the Egyptian national football team in the2021 Africa Cup of Nations. In the semi-final, Al Ahly lost againstPalmeiras, the winners of the2021 Copa Libertadores 2–0 to play againstAl Hilal in the third place playoff match. Al-Ahly achieved the third place in theFIFA Club World Cup for the third time in the club's history after defeating Al Hilal 4–0, the biggest victory for Al-Ahly in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Al-Ahly for the second time reached the CAF Champions League Final for the third time in a row under the management ofPitso Mosimane, after defeating Algerian sideES Sétif 6–2 on aggregate, but failed to win their 11th CAF Champions League trophy after losing 2–0 toWydad AC.
On 13 June 2022, Mosimane parted ways with Al-Ahly and Samy Koumsan took over the manager role as an interim manager.[100] On 29 June 2022,Ricardo Soares replaced Pitso Mosimane as Al Ahly's manager. His debut with Al Ahly was againstPetrojet in the Egypt Cup semi-final in which he led Al Ahly to a 2–0 victory to face rival Zamalek for the Egypt Cup Final, in which Al Ahly lost 2–1. This period witnessed a mass deterioration of Al Ahly, losing 3–2 toSmouha and Soares's league debut was a goalless draw withEl Gouna, Al Ahly lost 2–0 toPyramids in the league, drawing withMokawloon Al Arab and drawing withPharco.Al Ahly for the first time since the1991–92 season was not in the top two of the Egyptian Premier League table as the club finished third place.
Following disappointing results during his time as manager,Ricardo Soares was sacked on 31 August 2022, just 2 months after he was appointed as Al Ahly's manager.
He was replaced byMarcel Koller who was appointed as Al Ahly's new manager on 9 September 2022.[101] Marcel Koller won his first trophy after Al Ahly beat rival Zamalek in a 2–0 win for the Egyptian Super Cup.
Al-Ahly under Marcel Koller beat Alexandria's based Smouha SC in a 3–1 win in the Egypt Cup semi-final to meet Pyramids FC in the final. A couple of weeks later, Al Ahly playedAuckland City in the2022 FIFA Club World Cup, where Al Ahly beat the New Zealand-based team in a 3–0 win to face offCONCACAF Champions League winnersSeattle Sounders FC who were competing as the first MLS club to participate in the tournament and their first-ever match in the cup. Al Ahly achieved a late 1–0 victory and advanced to the semi-final to meet theUEFA Champions League winnerReal Madrid. This would be the second time the two sides meet after Manuel Jose's 2001 debut with the club where he was able to beat Real Madrid 1–0 at theCairo International Stadium. Al Ahly lost to Real Madrid and facedFlamengo for the third-place playoffs, when Al Ahly lost 4–2 and ended with the 4th place for the tournament.
On 11 June 2023, Al-Ahly won theCAF Champions League after defeating the same team they lost against in the 2021–22 final, the Moroccan clubWydad AC after beating them 3–2 on aggregate in the final. The first match was played at theCairo International Stadium on 4 June with Al Ahly winning 2–1, but drew with Wydad AC 1–1 at Stade Mohamed V. This gave Al Ahly its 11th CAF Champions League and qualified them for the2023 FIFA Club World Cup and2023 CAF Super Cup.[104] A month later, on 10 July, Al Ahly achieved their 43rd Egyptian Premier League title.[105] In the2023–24 CAF Champions League, Al-Ahly clinched their 12th title after a 1–0 win on aggregate overEspérance Sportive de Tunis in the final.[106]
TheCairo Derby is a rivalry between Egyptian clubs Al-Ahly SC andZamalek SC. Both clubs are located inGreater Cairo, and their matches are considered the highlight of the football season with a live broadcast to most of the Middle Eastern and North African countries since the 1960s. Typically, the derby is played twice each season with two matches in theEgyptian Premier League, but it is not uncommon to find the teams meeting each other in theEgypt Cup, especially in thefinal, and in Africa's most prestigious club competition, theCAF Champions League.
Al-Ahly has a large fanbase ofultras namedUltras Ahlawy (abbreviated UA07) which are known for their pyrotechnic displays. Ultras Ahlawy raised its banner for the first time at a match againstENPPI Club on 13 April 2007. Ultras Ahlawy also supports Al Ahly'sbasketball,volleyball, andhandball teams. Ultras Ahlawy members include college graduates, workers, and youth from many social levels in Egypt. Their motto is "Together Forever", which is meant to highlight the connection between their members. pronunciation: A'zam Nady bel Koron).
On 1 February 2012, a massive riot occurred atPort Said Stadium inPort Said, Egypt, following anEgyptian Premier Leaguefootball match betweenAl-Masry and Al Ahly, following a 3–1 victory by Al-Masry. Al-Masry supporters violently attacked supporters of Al Ahly by trapping them inside the stadium and attacking them with clubs, stones, bottles, and fireworks.[109][110] As a result, 72 supporters of Al Ahly were killed with more than 500 injured after thousands of Al-Masry spectators stormed the stadium stands and pitch. Many of the deaths were due to the police's refusal to open the stadium gates. Members of Ultras Ahlawy claim that the supporters were specifically targeted because of their highly televised calls for theSupreme Council of the Armed Forces to step down, as well as their open mockery of the previous regime and the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces.
Anthem
"Arise, Al Ahly" is the club's official anthem written by the journalistFekry Abaza in 1957 and composed byUmm Kulthum's husband Mahmoud Sherif. It was influenced by the anthem of theEgyptian Revolution of 1919 "Arise Egyptian".[111] The lyrics of the anthem are as follows:[112]
Arise, Al Ahly, see your sons and the soldiers see your Battalions, see your soldiers and the crowdsSee the signs of victory through all the generations see and record the glories of immortality in themYou are always you are always always on the top Every blessing in your life is with us and that is the will of our Lord From your elders we gained our glory and with your youth we kept our name You are always you are always always on the top
Grounds
Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium (training ground)
Cairo Tower behind Mokhtar El-Tetsh StadiumAl Ahly fans supporting the team in Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium
The club was originally founded for students of higher schools to meet and practice political dialogues. The club prompted Al Ahly to build its first stadium in 1909 and was called "Al-Hawsh" at the time, a colloquial word from the Egyptian dialect meaning "the courtyard" in Arabic. The stadium was developed over the years to become known asMokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium. In 1929, the stadium was named after Egypt's prince at that time, thePrince Farouk Stadium. By 1956, light stands were added to the stadium. The stadium was later renamed to the Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium, afterMokhtar El-Tetsh, a legend of the club. Al Ahly continued to play their home games at Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium until theCairo International Stadium was opened.[113] Currently, the stadium holds the team training and friendly games.
Cairo International Stadium
Al-Ahly formerly played their home games at their own ground,Mokhtar El Tetsh Stadium, but its capacity was too small for the club's supporters. As a way of solving the issue,Mokhtar El Tetsh Stadium became the official training ground, andCairo International Stadium replaced it as the official home ground. From 2014 to 2017, Al Ahly stopped playing their home games at theCairo International Stadium due to security reasons. In the2016–17 season, Al Ahly played most of their home games atAl Salam Stadium and played their matches in the African competitions atBorg El Arab Stadium. At the first leg of the Egyptian Premier League 2017–18 season, Al Ahly returned toCairo International Stadium as its official home ground.
On 14 February 2025, Al Ahly have taken a monumental leap toward realizing their long-awaited vision with the official launch of the "Project of the Century", a sprawling sports city in Sheikh Zayed, west of Cairo, during Friday's FIFA Club World Cup trophy ceremony. It would include:
a 42,000 seated to maximize fan proximity to the pitch, aligning with global standards
specialized facilities: a sports hospital, museum chronicling the club legacy, a sports university, a youth academy, and a hotel
Phased construction
Phase one will prioritize the stadium and hotel, while phase two introduces the university, hospital, and auxiliary training pitches.
Egyptian financial heavyweight Beltone Leasing & Factoring has committed EGP 4 billion (USD 80 million) to the project, with developer Al Qalaa Al Hamraa for Facilities Management securing additional funding to meet the total estimated cost of EGP 8–9 billion.
The stadium’s final design was unveiled at a high-profile ceremony in Luxor’s Hatshepsut Temple, attended by club dignitaries and partners.
The event also served as a prelude to Ahly's upcoming participation in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Construction began in February 2025,[114] and is expected to complete by 2029.[115]
Media
Al Ahly TV is an Egyptian-Arab channel that broadcasts the football team's friendly matches, youth team matches and other sports matches. The channel was established in 2008, in cooperation withArab Radio and Television Network. The official broadcast of the channel was launched on 3 December 2010 when former club presidentHassan Hamdy announced the opening of the channel.[116]
Al-Ahly also has aYouTube channel that had over 1.16 million subscribers as of September 2023. Training videos, exclusive features, and match highlights are frequently published on the channel. On 22 January 2021, the YouTube channel released a documentary calledSecret of the 9th, which reached one million views in less than one day.
In addition, the club has its own weekly magazine which covers the club's various news.
Al-Ahly lead the top six most popular football clubs on social media from Africa on 12 October 2022:[117]
On 3 November 1917,Mohamed Sherif Sabri Bek (who was the uncle ofKing Farouk I) became a member of the club and designed the first logo of Al-Ahly. It was inspired by theEgyptian flag ("Sultanate of Egypt" at that time which was red and white) and had a crown that representedEgypt's royal rule. In 1952, following theJuly Revolution and the change of ruling regime from Monarchy to Republic, the crown was removed, and replaced with the word "Nady" which means club in arabic. The logo remained unchanged until 2007, when it had slight changes celebrating the club's centenary. In late 2018, a 4th star was added on the top of the badge after Al Ahly's 40th league title.[118] Al Ahly's crest was voted "the second most beautiful in the game" in a 2020 poll by Spanish newspaperMarca.[119]
Evolution of the crest of Al Ahly SC
1907–1917
1917–1952
1952–2007
Football club kit crest
2023–
Al Ahly's kit has traditionally always been identified with a red shirt, white shorts, and red socks.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Throughout its history, Al Ahly has had 48 club captains, the first captain was Ahmed Fouad Anwar. Mohamed El Shenawy is the current captain since 2020.[124]
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