When Rumors Meet Strategy: Al Ahly Clears the Air on a Moroccan Star Ahead of the Bank Al Ahly Showdown
2 February 2026
What happened
Al Ahly issued an official statement to address the controversy surrounding the exclusion of Moroccan player Youssef Belamri from the squad for the Bank Al Ahly game, a decision attributed to Danish manager Jes Torup.
The Reds are preparing to face Bank Al Ahly on Tuesday in the 17th round of the Egyptian Premier League, at Cairo International Stadium.
Upcoming match and squad notes
The team’s squad news included the debut of new striker Yelsin Kamovich, while Yasser Ibrahim was ruled out with an injury, and new signing Hadci Riyad and left-back Youssef Belamri were also absent, fueling fan speculation.
Ahmed Gaballah, the club’s medical chief, stated that Belamri’s omission was a precautionary measure in coordination with the technical staff to protect the player and avoid risking his health.
Injury update and coach’s perspective
Gaballah added that Yasser Ibrahim underwent rehabilitation training today and will be reassessed after the Bank Al Ahly match to determine when he can rejoin group training, emphasizing the player’s calm condition.
Torup conveyed full confidence in Belamri’s abilities during a private session, explaining the rationale behind the decision and reiterating why Belamri was brought into the African roster.
Al Ahly’s lineup for the Bank Al Ahly game
The lineup for the clash is listed as follows: Goalkeepers: Mohamed El Shenawy, Mustafa Shobier, Hamza Alaa. Defence: Yassin Mar’i, Ahmed Ramadan, Amr El Gezar, Mohamed Hany, Ahmed Eed, Mohamed Shakry, Ahmed Nabil “Koka”, Kareem Fouad. Midfield: Mohamed Ali ben Ramadan, Marwan Attia, Aliou Diang, Ashraf Ben Cherki, Taher Mohamed, Hussein El Saha, Ahmed Sayed “Zizo”. Attack: Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet”, Marwan Osman, Yelsin Kamovich. Al Ahly currently sits third in the Egyptian Premier League with 26 points, while Bank Al Ahly are ninth with 20 points.
Note: The information above reflects the official squad announcement and match context for the upcoming fixture.
Punchline 1: If football had a mood ring, today it would read confident blue—because the coach believes in the plan even when fans press the panic button.
Punchline 2: And if humor was a fitness regime, this article would be sprinting to the goal line just to deliver a smile with the final whistle.
