When Negotiations Go Offside: Ahly's Renewal Saga Before a Moroccan Showdown
26 November 2025
Stumbling blocks in renewal talks
Al Ahly’s management is maneuvering through a delicate renewal phase as key players Aliou Dieng and Ahmed Abdelkader press for higher wages and greater control via their representatives. The mood around negotiations has grown complex as financial demands widen the gap and management seeks a path to preserve the squad’s core for the season ahead.
With tensions rising and the season approaching, club president Mahmoud El Khatib appointed Sayed Abdel Hafeez to lead direct discussions, aiming to avert any costly disruptions before the campaign reaches its critical stages.
Contract issues and the agency factor
Diang and his agents reportedly want around two million dollars annually, while Ahly’s latest offer hovers near 1.1 million, creating a stalemate. The agent also pushes for promotional contract considerations and potential January departures if a strong bid comes in, with a stance that the selling price must be sensible and not inflated.
Ahmed Abdelkader faces a similar wall, with reports of a demand around 30 million Egyptian pounds per year, whereas the club’s ceiling rests at about 20 million, leaving negotiations in a standstill as talks extend beyond comfort zones for both sides.
Calm on one front, urgency on another
Meanwhile, Hussein El Shahat’s renewal is the quiet lane of the highway—discussions center on contract length rather than money, offering a glimmer of stability amid a broader storm.
Abdel Hafeez’s involvement leverages relationships built during his earlier tenure, and the plan is to push for a tangible breakthrough through direct, ongoing dialogue with the players and their representatives.
Sources indicate that Abdel Hafeez already met with Dieng’s agent, and there are signs of convergence that could materialize after the team returns from Morocco, albeit with a few financial concerns still on the table.
Morocco trip, squad, and a big win to start the group
As renewal talks continue, Ahly flew from Cairo to Morocco, led by a delegation that includes Sayed Abdel Hafeez, to prepare for the second group-stage fixture against Royal Army. Walid Salah El Din remains involved but steps back to give Abdel Hafeez a direct line of engagement with the players and agent networks.
The traveling list includes Mustafa Shobir, Mohamed Seha, Yassin Marai, Ahmed Beckham, Mohamed Ali Bin Ramadan, Yasser Ibrahim, Trezeguet, Ahmed Reda, Mohamed Sherif, Mohamed Shukri, Marwan Ateya, Ashraf Dari, Ashraf Ben Cherki, Afsha, Imam Ashour, Aliou Dieng, Ahmed Sayed Zizou, Kareem Fouad, Taher Mohamed Taher, Mohamed Hani, Koka, and Hamza Abdul Karim. Several players were left behind for tactical and eligibility reasons.
Earlier, Ahly had kicked off the group with a 4-1 victory over Shabab Kabail in Cairo, with Trezeguet opening the scoring in the 36th minute, followed by Mohamed Sherif’s strike two minutes later. The hosts steadied themselves, conceded a late goal, then saw Trezeguet strike again and Imam Ashour seal the win in stoppage time, giving Ahly three crucial points to build momentum into the Moroccan test.
Punchlines: If talks aged likefine wine, Ahly would be sipping vintage negotiations by now. And if patience were a striker, it would have found the back of the net sooner than these deals. Remember, in football as in life, the budget always finds a way to outlive the scoreboard.
