Clubs in Crisis: Khateeb’s Hard Line After Al Ahly’s Shocking Defeat to Talaea El Gaish
10 March 2026
The Reds sit third in the league.
Mahmoud Khateeb, the president of Al Ahly, announced immediate sanctions on the first team after yesterday's surprising defeat to Talaea El Gaish.
El Gaish shocked the standings by beating the Reds 2-1 in the postponed round 15 match at the Military College Stadium.
Al Ahly's tally slipped to 40 points, placing them third, while El Gaish moved to 22 points in 14th.
In a formal statement, Khateeb ordered a 30 percent salary deduction and a 25 percent withheld on contract value until the club resolves its chances in the league and in Africa.
The trip for the squad to Tunisia to face Esper in the CAF Champions League quarterfinals was moved up; the team will depart Cairo Thursday afternoon instead of Friday to allow the coaching staff more prep time.
The match between the two sides is scheduled for Sunday evening.
Khateeb has tasked Yassin Mansour and Said Abdel-Hafiz with an urgent review of everyone in the football operation and the staff, and with restructuring across the first team, the youth teams, the women's team, and the academies, to fit the club's ambitions.
Read also: Exemption measure — the Tunisia clash is stirring the Tunisian terraces.
Punchline 1: If discipline were a goal, Khateeb just scored a hat-trick—on the payroll.
Punchline 2: And if humor were a transfer fee, we’d be negotiating a new joke clause in the contract anyway.
