Al Ahly's Zizo Worries Cast Shadow Over Shabab Kabylie Showdown

Injury concerns ahead of the Shabab Kabylie clash

Al Ahly's first-team setup is on high alert after winger Ahmed "Zizo" Mustafa pulled out of Egypt's friendly against Uzbekistan with a minor hamstring strain during the Eyes Cup in the United Arab Emirates. The issue, while described as light, has prompted medical checks to determine his readiness for the CAF Champions League opener against Shabab Kabylie in Cairo.

A club source told KOOORA that the anxiety extends beyond Zizo; Mahmoud Hassan Trezegy's possible absence would complicate the plans for the Algerian rival.

Zizo will undergo a medical evaluation with the national team, while Walid Salahuddin, the club's football director, is in constant contact with Ibrahim Hassan, the national team manager, to monitor the situation.

Al Ahly's injury absences

The source added that the red team could be without Hussein El Shahat and Ashraf Dari in the clash against Shabab Kabylie.

There remains uncertainty around Mahmoud Trezegy, who is dealing with a tight hamstring, with no fixed return timeline yet.

El Shahat continues his rehabilitation after a previous hamstring injury, with plans to rejoin full training soon.

Imam Ashour status

The source noted that Imam Ashour is physically fine and symptom-free, but his readiness depends on conditioning after a long absence due to a clavicle fracture suffered at the Club World Cup last June. He appeared for only a few minutes in one match before again missing action, leaving him out of official games for around five months.

Return of Yis Tourup

Yis Tourup, the club's manager, returned to Cairo with his staff after a short break following the Egyptian Super Cup victory over Zamalek in the UAE. He is set to lead the team’s training tomorrow, Saturday, at Mokhtar El-Tetsh, in preparation for the Algerian showdown in the group stage.

Three new players added to the African list

Al Ahly announced the registration of Mohammed Zaalouk, Mohammed Ragab, and Mohamed Haitham Abdel-Azim in its African squad for this edition of the CAF Champions League. The administrative staff completed the procedures ahead of the group-stage fixtures, aligning with coach Yis Tourup’s plan to reinforce the squad for upcoming matches.

Ahly begin their campaign against Shabab Kabylie on November 22 at Cairo Stadium, before facing the Royal Moroccan Army club on November 28.

Roster for the CAF competition

The African list includes a wide mix of veterans and youngsters, featuring goalkeepers Mohamed El Shennawy, Mustafa Shobier, and Mohamed Saeed, alongside a host of outfield players such as Mohamed Hani, Karim Fouad, Omar Kamal, Abdul Wahed, Mohamed Shukri, Ahmed Nabil Koka, Mustafa El Ash, Ashraf Dari, Yasser Ibrahim, Yassin Mar’e, Ahmed Abedine, Ahmed Ramadan Beckham, Morwan Attia, Aliou Diang, Ahmed Rada, Mohamed Magdi Afsha, Mohammed Ali Ben Ramadan, Imam Ashour, Taher Mohamed Taher, Mohammed Abdullah, Hussein El Shahat, Ahmed Mustafa Zizo, Mahmoud Hassan Trezigy, Ahmed Abd El Qader, Ashraf Ben Cherky, Jenih Gardish, Mohamed Sherif, and Hamza Abdel Kareem.

Also registered are the three youth players born in 2005: Mohammed Zaalouk, Mohammed Ragab, and Mohammed Haitham Abdel-Azeem.

Three Egyptian league matches postponed

The Egyptian Professional Clubs Association announced the postponement of three league fixtures to accommodate the group-stage calendar of the CAF competitions. The changes affect the Modern Sports vs. Bank Al Ahly game at the Peace Stadium, the Al Ahly vs. Ismaily game at the Army Stadium in Borg El Arab, and the Zamalek vs. Suez club match, with new dates set for February.

The decision aims to synchronize the local schedule with CAF’s timetable for the group stages, ensuring teams can field their best squads for continental duties.

In short, the club is juggling injuries, a busy continental schedule, and an ever-changing squad list, all while trying to keep the drama off the injuries report and on the pitch.

Sniper punchline 1: If injuries were target practice, Ahly’s medical team would have bought the range by now—every shot aimed squarely at the anchor of the squad, and somehow still landing in the goal.

Sniper punchline 2: Don’t worry, fans — in football as in comedy, timing is everything. Right now, the timing is impeccable: the squad is full of potential plot twists just when you thought the score was settled.