Derby Victory Triggers Salary Reset and Fresh Contract Talks at Al Ahly
30 septembre 2025
Salary Restored After the Derby Victory
Walid Salah El-Din, the club’s football director, announced that players’ salaries would be resumed following Al Ahly’s 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Zamalek in the derby at Cairo Stadium.
Al Ahly managed to turn the tables and grab the win in the ninth round of the Egyptian Premier League, keeping the title race lively and the nerves of fans equally lively in the stands.
Bonuses, Tests, and Renewals Ahead
Walid Salah also informed players that an Excellence Bonus would be paid for beating Zamalek, but only if they triumph against Ismailia’s Kahraba Ismailiya next Saturday in Round 10, ahead of the international break.
The club plans to open contract discussions after the Ismailia match, beginning with Ahmed Abd El Qader, the winger who has returned to play after a spell on the sidelines amid rumors of a move to Zamalek. The talks will also consider extending Aliou Dieng’s contract, as his current deal runs out at the end of the season.
Team News, Standings, and the Road Ahead
Ahly resumed training on Tuesday, without a break, as they prepare for the Ismailia game and the international window that will feature Egypt’s qualifiers against Djibouti and Guinea-Bissau in the final two rounds of the Africa Cup qualifying.
They will miss Mahmoud Hassan Trezegol due to suspension, along with Kareem Fawad, Mohamed Shukri, and Moroccan defender Ashraf Dari because of injuries. Imam Ashour has not fully recovered from a virus, while Ahmed Mustafa Zizo and Mohamed Magdy Afsha are set to rejoin the squad.
Ahly sit third with 15 points from eight matches, while Zamalek lead the table on 17 points from nine games. Al Masry currently holds the second spot, also on 15 points but from nine matches.
Messages, Confidence, and Rumor Control
Walid Salah El-Din spoke after the derby, congratulating Ahly’s fans and board and arguing that the performance reflected well on those who doubted the team’s ability to produce a strong display. He credited interim coach Emad El-Nahhas (Emad El-Nahas) for steering the team back to winning ways and said the club would prepare vigorously for the Ismailia match to keep the momentum going and to tidy up the squad for the international pause. He also urged supporters to rely on official sources for news and dismissed rumors about unrelated talks with players.
“The simplest example,” he added, “is what was said about Ahmed Mustafa ‘Zizo’ speaking to me before the game—none of that happened. I’m not here to discuss named individuals or websites, only to ask fans to trust the official channels.”
He noted the priority of returning injured players and suggested that the managerial file remains on President Mahmoud El-Khatib’s table, with several coaches declining the Africa-based role for various reasons, including financial constraints.
Regarding the derby itself, he explained, “In the first 10 minutes we weren’t at our best, but we dominated possession and controlled the match after that. Even when Zamalek scored first, we continued to press and the big teams often know how to bounce back. This win should give us a strong push and help us reorganize for the near future.”
El-Din praised the players, emphasizing that the entire squad—and especially substitutes like Hussein El Shahat, who scored the equalizer and drew a penalty that led to the late winner—made a decisive contribution and earned the man-of-the-match honors.
Punchline 1: If rumors burned calories, our newsroom would be shredded by now—fortunately the squad’s focus burns like a supercharged forward charge.
Punchline 2: In football as in comedy, timing is everything; luckily for Ahly, the only thing that irritates fans is the wait for the next kickoff, not the quality of the punchlines.
