Al Ahly's UAE Showdown: Red Giants Gear Up for the Egyptian Super Cup

Al Ahly's UAE journey for the Egyptian Super Cup

The road to gold!

Al Ahly's football department has decided to travel to the United Arab Emirates on Monday, ahead of the Egyptian Super Cup scheduled to be played from 6 to 9 November.

The Red Devils will open the tournament by facing Ceramica Cleopatra in the semi-final set for 6 November at Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium in Al Ain.

On the same day, Zamalek will meet Pyramids at the Al Wahda Club Stadium in Abu Dhabi, with the winners meeting in the final on November 9 at Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.

A trusted source told Koora that the squad will depart for Dubai on Monday afternoon, then travel by bus to Al Ain directly.

The team is scheduled to hold its first training on Tuesday at one of the side pitches, with the final training on Wednesday before the match, and a press conference for head coach Danish Ytorup and captain Mohamed El-Shenawy will precede it.

Samir Adly, the club’s administrative director, will travel to Al Ain on Saturday to arrange lodging, training ground arrangements, and all logistical needs for the delegation.

Ahead of travel, there is a degree of uncertainty about the head of the delegation due to the club board elections taking place on Friday.

The elected board would need at least a couple of days to certify results with the administrative authorities, making an immediate ministerial decree unlikely.

Previously, the club issued a ministerial decree appointing Dr. Saad El-Adly as head of the delegation, with Walid Salah El-Din as deputy.

An amendment is expected on Monday to appoint Said Abdel-Hafiz as head of the delegation if he wins the election, subject to official approval.

The club has made arrangements for the roster, and Said Abdel-Hafiz’s appointment is under consideration, depending on the election outcome.

The club has secured visas for all players registered on the domestic list, including Imam Ashour, despite confirmation of his absence from the tournament.

Ashour recently returned to training after missing time due to a Hepatitis A-type illness, and he will need at least 10 days to regain full fitness before returning to action.

Nine academy players were granted visas: Mohammed Abdullah, Ahmed Abdin, Mohammed Rawat, Mohammed Za'look, Mahmoud Labeeb, Mohammed Reda, Omar Sayed Mouhawad, Omar Al-Adi, Mohammed Haitham, and Yassin Atef.

The head coach Yees Torup will have the final say on the squad traveling to the UAE, based on medical and physical readiness reports.

Vaccination drive: The medical staff vaccinated all players and staff against hepatitis A in partnership with a medical company, as part of the club’s preventive health program.

The club emphasizes ongoing medical precautions, including regular checkups and vaccinations, to keep players healthy throughout the season.

The team will return to training this evening to prepare for the Egyptian Premier League clash against Al Masry at the Burj Al Arab Stadium in Borg El Arab.

The coach gave players 24 hours of rest after the latest win over Petrojet; the team will travel to Alexandria on Saturday for a closed camp ahead of the match.

Injuries will keep several key players out of the Al Masry game: Hussein El Shahat, Mohamed Sharf, Moroccan Achraf Dari, Ahmed Reda, and Imam Ashour due to readiness issues.

On the bright side, Ahmed Nabil Koka and Marwan Atiya return from suspension for this fixture.

Al Ahly previously drew 1-1 with Petrojet at the Military Academy Stadium, leaving them on 22 points, while Petrojet sit on 15.

Punchline 1: If this trip goes as smoothly as a well-drilled corner, the transport might file for a union rep.

Punchline 2: And if the road is as busy as the midfield, at least the bus will be keeping the tempo while the players nap in style.