Al Ahly's Red Banner: Third-Term Chief, Bold Overhaul, and UAE Super Cup Hope

Election Victory and the New Al Ahly Leadership

The election committee overseeing Al Ahly’s elections has confirmed Mahmoud El Khatib will serve a third consecutive term as club president, spanning 2025 to 2029, after his slate retained every seat. The board’s renewal marks a clear mandate for continuity coupled with a bold reform agenda as the Red Castle enters a new four-year cycle.

The winning list features Yassin Mansour as vice president, Khaled Mortagy as treasurer, and a mix of senior members—Tarek Qandil, Mohamed Ghazawy, Mohamed Damati, Mohamed El-Garhi, Ahmed Hosam Awad, Sid Abdel Hafiz, Hazem Helal—alongside younger figures Ibrahim Al-Amri and Rowida Hisham. The composition signals readiness to tackle both immediate tasks and long-term development.

The club expects to convene its first board meeting within hours of formal administrative approval, with decisions that will outline the trajectory for the coming era at the club.

Structural Overhaul and UAE Super Cup Ambitions

Among upcoming moves, the new board is widely anticipated to appoint the head of the team traveling party to the United Arab Emirates for the Egyptian Super Cup tournament, which runs from November 6 to 9. A source told Kooora that Mahmoud El Khatib will be given full oversight of the football sector, with Sid Abdel Hafiz serving as his deputy and also joining the planning committee, while Mohamed Youssef is tipped to join the committee as well.

Abdel Hafiz has, in fact, begun to assume duties informally in recent weeks, under the direct instruction of the club president, to address outstanding football matters and craft a comprehensive plan for the coming phase.

The First Official Appearance and the UAE Schedule

Anticipation is high for Abdel Hafiz to appear officially with the first team in the near term, including the Sunday clash against Al Masry in Borg El Arab Stadium, part of the Egyptian Premier League’s 13th round. He is also slated to accompany the squad on the UAE trip, marking his first formal appearance since joining the new board.

A Comprehensive Football Sector Restructure

Supporters can expect a sweeping reorganization within the football operations, including a revamped Planning Committee presently led by Mokhtar Mokhtar and a likely formal addition of Mohamed Youssef to the committee. Plans are also underway for a new director of signings, while Osama Helal will return to lead the scouting department, and Hisham Hanfi has been named general supervisor of the club’s Delphi team. The overhaul targets not just the first team but the entire football hierarchy—from the youth and academy departments to the broader administrative framework—aiming to standardize technical and management practices across the board.

The UAE Camp, the Masry Match, and the Road Ahead

The team has already departed for Alexandria for a closed camp in preparation for Sunday’s game against Al Masry at Borg El Arab. Players like Ahmed Nabil Kouka and Marwan Attia return from suspension, while Hussein Shahat, Mohamed Shreef, Ahmed Rida, Ashraf Dari, and Imam Ashour remain sidelined through injury or readiness. The group trained at Mokhtar El-Tetsh, where coach Ylis Torup delivered a lengthy session highlighting mistakes from the last match and outlining corrective steps ahead of the Masry test.

In terms of the UAE plan, the football management has fixed dates for the trip, with the squad traveling from Dubai to Al Ain to begin the tournament schedule. The semifinals will see Al Ahly facing Ceramica Cleopatra in Al Ain, while Zamalek meets Pyramids in Abu Dhabi. The winners will clash in the final on November 9 at Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, in a tournament the club hopes will set the tone for the season.

Medical and Safety Measures

On the health front, the club’s medical staff vaccinated all football personnel against Hepatitis A as part of a broader health and safety plan designed to keep players in peak condition amid a packed calendar and constant travel. The club emphasizes maintaining the highest safety standards in coordination with relevant authorities to ensure a healthy and secure work environment.

With Mahmoud El Khatib at the helm and a new generation ready to contribute, Al Ahly looks to restore domestic form and deliver strong performances in the Egyptian Super Cup, signaling stability across both the sporting and administrative dimensions.

Punchline 1: If reorganizing a football club were an Olympic sport, Al Ahly just filed for gold—on the paperwork and on the pitch.

Punchline 2: They say football is a game of inches; Al Ahly just turned a few inches into a full-blown strategic playbook. Humor helps the fans survive the transfer rumor mill, and apparently, so does a well-timed pep talk with a side of espresso.