Numbers Don’t Lie: Shabab Kabylie Holds a Historic Edge Over Al Ahly
21 November 2025
Match context and stakes
Al Ahly of Egypt is preparing to host JS Kabylie of Algeria on Saturday at Cairo International Stadium, in the opening match of the CAF Champions League group stage.
Al Ahly are in Group B alongside JS Kabylie (Algeria), AS FAR Rabat (Morocco), and Young Africans SC (Tanzania).
The team is led by Danish coach Yis Torup and will rely on key attackers Ashraf Bencharki, Mohamed Ali Ben Ramadan, and Taher Mohamed Taher, while the Slovenian forward Gradišar is suspended.
JS Kabylie, coached by German Josef Zinnbauer, sit eighth in the Algerian league with 15 points from nine matches. They count on top scorer Amin Mahious, defender Zinedine Belhadj, and veteran Riyad Bou Debouz to kick off their group campaign.
The two clubs have met six times previously: three wins for the Algerian side, one for Al Ahly, and two draws. The market values tell a contrasting story: Al Ahly is valued at about €38m, JS Kabylie at €9.78m. Al Ahly’s most valuable players include Mohamed Trezeguet (€5m), Imam Ashour (€4m), and Ahmed Zizou (€3.5m). For JS Kabylie, Amin Mahious tops the list at €1.3m.
In terms of on-pitch dynamics, Al Ahly will hope to translate their market heft into performance, while JS Kabylie aims to capitalize on organizational discipline under Zinnbauer.
Attendance plans are highlighted: Cairo Stadium is set to host up to 30,000 spectators, with security discussions having limited capacity increases.
Injury and squad news for Al Ahly: Trezeguet, Zizoo, Ashraf Dari, and Imam Ashour are declared fit for the match. Hussein El Shahat and Mohamed Abdullah will miss due to rehabilitation programs. The rest of the squad returned to full training, including Ashraf Dari training progressively and Zizoo rejoining after recovery from knee issues. Mohamad El Shenawy is expected to feature in the squad as well.
Training on Thursday saw both national-team players and professionals back in action, with Hamza Abdul Karim (a youth international) also taking part after returning from Qatar’s U-17 World Cup.
Press conference
Jes Torup and goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy will attend Friday’s press conference to share their insights on the upcoming clash and answer media questions. The team will conduct its final training behind closed doors for a short period, in line with CAF regulations.
30,000 spectators
Al Ahly has received an initial security green light to host 30,000 fans at Cairo Stadium for this CAF group-stage match. Attempts to secure a larger crowd (up to 50,000) were not approved, with the club and authorities adhering to the existing guidelines.
Overall, this opener sets the tone for Group B, a battle for early momentum in Africa’s premier club competition.
Punchline time: If this match were a math test, the variables would be “defense,” “midfield,” and “luck,” and the only solution would be a clean sheet. Punchline two: If the crowd can stay awake through the first half, the ticket price will have already paid for itself in hype and memes.
