Al Ahly Eyes a Strategic Winter Refresh as Transfer Sparks Fly Around Zizou and the Bank Duo

Winter Window on Al Ahly’s Radar

Al Ahly’s football administration is holding intensive Saturday meetings to map out the winter transfer plan for the first team, part of the buildup after the pause granted to players following their local Super Cup triumph.

A club source told Kooora on Thursday that Danish coach Yies Turup will soon return to Cairo to begin leading Reds training on Saturday, following a five‑day rest granted after the 2-0 Super Cup final win over Zamalek in Abu Dhabi.

The same source noted that Sayed Abdelhafiz, board member and deputy acting head of football, will take charge of the winter window file, coordinating with the head coach. He stressed that rumors about Al Ahly sealing deals for Osama Faisal and Mahmoud El Gazaar from Bank Al Ahli are not true at this moment.

There is clear interest in the two players, but no official move or talks with Bank officials have taken place yet. The full position will be presented to the coach for a final decision.

The source also confirmed ongoing dialogue with Palestinian Hamid Hamdan, a Petrojet midfielder, to gauge his potential fit with Al Ahly, especially after chatter that Zamalek might be pursuing him.

Hamdan reportedly told intermediaries that he has left his future in the hands of Petrojet’s management, allowing Al Ahly to watch the situation without entering direct negotiations yet, so the picture remains clear.

The Zizou Controversy and Protocol Scrutiny

In parallel, Al Ahly filed a complaint to the Egyptian Football Association seeking an investigation into alleged “unclean” behavior by Zamalek fans toward Ahmed Zizou during the Super Cup final in the UAE last Sunday.

The Red Castle asserted that Zizou and his family were targeted with taunts and offensive remarks in front of officials, including the youth and sports minister and the Egyptian football leadership.

Zizou had been a standout star for Zamalek for years before joining Al Ahly on a free transfer last summer.

Hisham Nasr, Zamalek vice president, criticized Zizou on television, arguing that international protocols for prize ceremonies must be respected and questioning whether the federation has a sanctions regime for such acts. He added that violations should be warned about, but if wrongdoing comes from the other side, action should be taken too. He recalled that Zizou initially declined to shake hands with Nasr after Al Ahly’s win.

Nasr insisted that these episodes must be dealt with within the sports system, noting that Zizou’s relationship with Zamalek had cooled since his departure. He also dismissed claims that Zizou’s dues were unsettled, stating that the club has documents confirming he received all entitlements under his last three-year contract, including a season where he missed 25 days of training, with sanctions applied accordingly.

The club emphasized that it possesses records proving Zizou received all rights, and that reports of a 40 million‑pound punishment of Zamalek are unfounded. The next session with the club’s lawyer is set for Sunday to respond to Zizou’s statements and to present supporting documents that defend Al Ahly’s position.

As the winter window looms, the broader question remains: will Al Ahly press ahead with signings, or will they wait for more clarity on the Zizou dispute and the federation’s stance on fan conduct?

Humor aside, football keeps its own weather forecast, and at the moment it’s a mix of cautious optimism with a drizzle of controversy.

In the end, football is about performance on the pitch, but a transfer window thrives on the chatter off it. Let’s see which moves land and which stories wilt under the desert sun.

Punchline 1: Winter transfer rumors are like winter wardrobes—everyone swears they’ll upgrade, but somehow the same old coat keeps reappearing in the lineup.

Punchline 2: And remember, in football, the only thing colder than the weather in Abu Dhabi is the transfer deadline day—the drama comes with a freeze alert."