When Hamstrings Strain, Ahly Rethinks the Super Cup Ride

The Tunisian international is set to be ready to play in the local Super Cup.

On Saturday, Walid Salah El-Din, Ahly’s football director, explained that Mohamed Ali Ben Ramadan’s omission from the Masry squad was due to an injury.

Ahly will face Masry on Sunday evening at Borg El Arab Stadium in the 13th round of the Egyptian Premier League.

El-Din said Ben Ramadan is suffering from a mild hamstring strain and, after consultation with the coaching and medical staff, he was left out of the match list.

SUPER CUP READINESS

A trusted source within Ahly stated that Ben Ramadan will be fit to travel with the squad to the United Arab Emirates to participate in the Egyptian Super Cup.

The team’s UAE journey is described as standard, with preparations for the Cup tournament continuing as scheduled.

Nine players sidelined and the squad

Ahly’s first-team coach, Danishman Yees Turup, excluded nine players from the Masry game: the Tunisian Mohamed Ali Ben Ramadan, Mustafa Al-Ash, Hussein El Shahat, Ahmed Rida, Mohamed Sherif, Ashraf Dari, Hamza Alaa, Ahmed Abidin, and Imam Ashour.

Ben Ramadan, Al-Ash, Shahat, and Rida were ruled out due to injuries, Imam Ashour was not fully fit technically and physically, Ahmed Abidin was omitted for technical reasons, and Hamza Alaa faced local eligibility issues.

The list of the match lineup shows a departure to Alexandria for a closed camp, with Mohamed El Shennawy, Mustafa Shobair, Mohamed Sihah in goal, and a group including Yassin Mar'i, Omar Kamal Abdel Wahid, Ahmed Ramadan Beckham, Yasser Ibrahim, Mohamed Shukri, Karim Fouad, Mohamed Hani, Ahmed Nabil Koka, Marwan Attia, Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet, Ahmed Abdel Qader, Ashraf Ben Sharqi, Mohamed Magdi Afsha, Aliou Dieng, Ahmed Sayed Zizo, Taher Mohamed Taher, Nets Gradychar, and Mohamed Abdullah listed for travel.

The team trained the previous day at the TET stadium after a 24-hour rest, following the draw with Petrojet (1-1), with head coach Turup pinpointing the errors made in that match during a long team briefing.

The Reds showed a variable performance across halves; in the first half, several errors and poor passing opened the door for a 11th-minute opener by Hamid Hamdan.

In the second half, the Abu Dhabi-based side’s pressure paid off as Gradychar equalized in the 61st minute, but chances went unconverted and the game ended in a draw.

Emirates-bound thoughts

The Ahly leadership decided the squad would travel to the United Arab Emirates on Monday to prepare for the Egyptian Super Cup, which runs from November 6 to 9.

Ahly will begin the Cup campaign by meeting Ceramica Cleopatra in the semifinal on November 6 at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain.

On the same day, Zamalek and Pyramids meet at Abu Dhabi’s Unit Stadium, with the winners facing off in the final on November 9 at Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

A senior Ahly official told Koora that the delegation would depart for Dubai on Monday, then head directly to Al Ain. They will conduct their first training session on Tuesday at a local venue, followed by a final briefing on Wednesday with the manager and captain Shennawy.

Vaccinations and health safeguards

Walid Salah El-Din confirmed that the medical staff vaccinated all football department members and players against Hepatitis A in coordination with a leading health company to safeguard the squad’s health and ensure a safe environment.

Ahly emphasizes the ongoing implementation of medical procedures as part of a continuous program with external specialists to ensure players’ readiness and a healthy work environment.

The Red Devil aims to reclaim the Egyptian Premier League lead and win the UAE-hosted Super Cup ahead of Africa’s premier club competition, where they aim to reestablish a strong presence in the CAF Champions League group stage after last season’s dramatic semifinal exit to Sundowns of South Africa.

Sundowns later won the CAF Champions League final against another Egyptian club, Pyramids, securing Africa’s premier trophy for the first time. Ahly, Pyramids, and Sundowns all feature prominently in the continent’s top club competition’s recent history.

Punchlines: If hamstrings had awards, Ben Ramadan would be up for a lifetime achievement in limbering. And if you think the schedule is tight, wait until you see how many fans will need a vacation after this cup run.”