Al Ahly SC facts for kids
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| Full name | Al Ahly Sporting Club | ||
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| Short name | ASC, AFC, AHL | ||
| Founded | 24 April 1907 | ||
| Ground | Cairo International Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 75,700 | ||
| Chairman | Mahmoud El Khatib | ||
| Manager | Marcel Koller | ||
| League | Egyptian Premier League | ||
| 2023–24 | Egyptian Premier League, 1st of 18 (champions) | ||
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Al Ahly Sporting Club, usually called Al Ahly, is a famous Egyptian sports club from Cairo, Egypt. It's best known for its professional football (soccer) team. They play in the Egyptian Premier League, which is the top football league in Egypt. Al Ahly is super successful, winning many titles both in Egypt and across Africa. They often compete in big tournaments organized by the CAF.
Al Ahly was started on April 24, 1907, by Omar Lotfy. The club holds many records for winning titles in Egypt, including 44 Egyptian Premier League titles, 39 Egypt Cup titles, and 15 Egyptian Super Cups. They are also the most successful club in all of Africa!
In international games, Al Ahly has won a record 12 CAF Champions League titles, 1 CAF Confederation Cup, a record 8 CAF Super Cups, and a record 4 African Cup Winners' Cups. They've also won other regional cups and even 4 bronze medals in the FIFA Club World Cup. Because of their amazing success, CAF voted Al Ahly as the African club of the 20th century.
Contents
- History
- How the Club Started
- Early Wins (1918–1948)
- Ruling the League (1948–1967)
- First African Games (1967–1980)
- African Success (1980–1990)
- Arab Tournament Success & Boycotting CAF (1990–2005)
- Golden Era (2005–2013)
- Mahmoud Taher Era (2014–2017)
- Mahmoud El Khatib Era & Return to African Success (2017–Present)
- Rivalries
- Supporters
- Port Said Stadium Riot
- Anthem
- Grounds
- Media
- Kits and Crest
- Honours
- Seasons
- Players
- Coaching Staff
- Board of Directors
- Club Figures
- Images for kids
- See Also
History
How the Club Started
The idea for Al Ahly started in the early 1900s. Omar Lotfy, a student at the Egyptian Law School, first suggested it. He was also the head of the High School Students Club. He wanted to create a club where high school students could meet for fun, exercise, and even discuss important topics.
Omar Lotfy talked to his friends, and they loved the idea. So, in 1907, Al Ahly was officially created!
The first person to lead the club was Alfred Mitchell-Innes, a British advisor. He helped the club get money. The first official meeting of the club's board was on April 24, 1907. They met at Mitchell-Innes's house in Giza.
After the club was approved, the main building was designed. To raise money, the club sold shares for £E5 each, hoping to get £E5,000. But they only collected £E3,165, so they had to borrow money from the National Bank of Egypt. Talaat Harb, who was in charge of the Bank of Egypt, also gave £E100 to help the club.
The first honorary president of the club was the Minister of Education, Saad Zaghloul. The name "Al Ahly Sporting Club" was suggested by Amine Samy Amin. "Al Ahly" means "National" in Egyptian Arabic. In 1908, Alfred Mitchell-Innes stepped down, and Aziz Ezzat became the first Egyptian president of Al Ahly. The club officially opened its main building on February 26, 1909.
At first, football wasn't the main goal for Al Ahly's founders. They wanted a place for students to meet and talk. But students who joined the club really loved football. This led the club to build its first stadium in 1909. They called it "Al-Hawsh," which means "the courtyard." Over the years, this stadium became known as Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium.
The first official football team was formed in 1911. It was made up of primary and secondary school players. Some of the first players were Hussein Hegazi, Abdel Fattah Taher, and Fouad Darwish.
In 1915, Al Ahly traveled to different Egyptian cities to play matches and help football become more popular. They played against many teams, including foreign teams from the British Army. This helped Al Ahly and football become very well-known in Egypt. Al Ahly also helped create the first Egyptian football team for the 1920 Olympic Games and helped set up the Egyptian Football Association.
Early Wins (1918–1948)
Al Ahly first refused to play against foreign British clubs in the Sultan Hussein Cup in 1917. But in 1918, they decided to join to show that Egyptians were strong in sports. In 1923, Al Ahly won their first Sultan Hussain Cup by beating their rival Zamalek SC. They won six more titles, holding the record until 1938. They also helped create the Egyptian Tennis Federation. After winning the Sultan Hussain Cup, they won the King Farouk Cup in 1924, beating El Sekka El Hadid SC 4–1 in the final. Mokhtar Eltetsh was the star, scoring two goals.
In 1929, Al Ahly's football team went on a tour to Europe, playing against clubs like Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray in Turkey, and teams in Germany and Bulgaria. In November 1930, Al Ahly beat Zamalek 4–0, with Mokhtar El Tetsh scoring three goals, which was a first in the Cairo Derby. By the end of the 1936–1937 season, Al Ahly won the league by beating Zamalek 4–1. They also won the King Farouk Cup with a 3–2 win over El Sekka El Hadid SC. In 1938, Al Ahly won the last Sultan Hussein Cup, beating Al Masry SC 1–0. They also won the Cairo League again, beating Zamalek 5–1 in the final match.
In 1943, the team traveled to Mandatory Palestine for 23 days, led by Mokhtar El Tetsh. They played matches against Arab teams to show support for Palestine. This decision was made even though the president of the Egyptian Football Association was against it due to British pressure.
Ruling the League (1948–1967)
In the first Egyptian Premier League season in 1948, Al Ahly won their first match 5–0. Ahmed Makkawi scored Al Ahly's first goal in the league. The team that played in that first league match included Kamal Hamed, Saleh Selim, and others. Mokhtar El Tetsh led Al Ahly to win their first league title as both a player and a manager. They won both the league and the cup for the first time, beating Zamalek 3–1 in the 1949 King Farouk Cup final.
The 1949–50 season was amazing for Al Ahly, as they won all the local championships. They won the Egyptian Premier League after a tie-breaker match against Tersana SC. They also won the Cairo League and the Egypt Cup, beating Tersana 6–0 in the final.
In the 1950–51 season, Al Ahly won the league for the third time in a row, even with strong competition from Zamalek. They also had a tough win in the King Farouk Cup final. After King Farouk was removed from power in the 1952 revolution, Al Ahly made Gamal Abdel Nasser their honorary president.
The 1951–52 league was canceled because of the Egyptian revolution and to help the national team get ready for the 1952 Summer Olympics. But the Egypt Cup and Cairo League were still played, and Al Ahly lost both to Zamalek. The league returned the next season, and Al Ahly won it for the fourth time in a row, just barely ahead of Zamalek. In the cup, Al Ahly beat Zamalek 4–1 in the final.
In the 1953–54 season, Al Ahly won their fifth league title in a row.
In the 1956–57 season, more teams joined the league. Al Ahly won the league by a large margin, making it their seventh title in a row. This was the first time they reached 40 points. Al Ahly won the 1958–59 league championship for the ninth time in a row. El-Sayed El-Dhizui became the first Al Ahly player to be the league's top scorer.
After losing the league for the first time in the 1959–60 season, Al Ahly won it again for the tenth time in the 1960–61 season. They also won the Egypt Cup, beating El Qanah FC 5–0.
First African Games (1967–1980)
After the 1967 Six-Day War, sports activities in Egypt stopped. Al Ahly's board announced that the club would help with military training and collect donations for the Egyptian Army. Many players retired to join the war effort. Al Ahly didn't win the league again for 13 years.
To get back on track, the club hired Nándor Hidegkuti as their head coach in 1973. Hidegkuti brought in a new group of young players. The league title returned to Al Ahly in 1974–75. Al Ahly first played in the African Champions League in 1976 but were knocked out early. However, Al Khatib scored Al Ahly's first goal in an African competition.
The club won the league again in 1975–76 and 1976–77. In the latter season, they did better in Africa but were still knocked out in the quarter-finals. From 1978 to 1980, Hidegkuti decided not to join the CAF Champions League because of money problems and long trips.
African Success (1980–1990)
In the 1981–82 Egyptian Premier League season, Al Ahly managed to win the championship even though Zamalek was ahead by six points. Al Ahly reached the semi-final of the 1981 African Cup of Champions Clubs but pulled out due to the assassination of President Anwar Sadat. Al Ahly won the 1982 African Cup of Champions Clubs, now called the CAF Champions League, by beating Asante Kotoko S.C. in the final. They won the first game 3–0 in Cairo and tied the second game 1–1 in Ghana. Al Ahly played ten games in this tournament, winning all five home games. They scored 16 goals and only let in five.
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Al Ahly reached the African Champions League final again in 1983 but lost to Asante Kotoko S.C.
In 1984, Al Ahly reached another African final, this time in the African Cup Winners' Cup. They won against Canon Yaoundé in a penalty shootout after two tied games. The 1984–85 season was one of Al Ahly's best. They won the cup, the league, and the African Cup Winners Cup for the second time in a row. For the third time in a row, Al Ahly won the African Cup Winners' Cup in 1986.
Al Ahly won the Egyptian League in the 1986–87 season, beating Zamalek 2–1 in the final match.
Al Ahly won the 1987 African Cup of Champions Clubs by beating Al-Hilal Club in the final. The first game was a 0–0 tie in Sudan, and Al Ahly won the second game 2–0 in Cairo. Three days later, club legend Mahmoud El Khatib retired after 17 years with the club.
Arab Tournament Success & Boycotting CAF (1990–2005)
In 1992, Al Ahly won the Egypt Cup by beating Zamalek 2–1 in the final. After winning the cup for the third time in a row in 1993, Al Ahly returned to Africa and won the African Cup Winners' Cup for the fourth time. This was the last time the club played in that tournament. They also won the Egypt Cup that season.
After three years without winning the league, Al Ahly won it in the 1993–94 season. It was a close competition with Ismaily SC, decided by a playoff match that Al Ahly won 4–3.
Al Ahly played in the Arab Championships for the first time in 1994. They decided to stop playing in African tournaments for a while because of low money returns and complaints about referee decisions. Al Ahly won the 1994 Arab Cup Winners' Cup by beating Al Shabab 1–0 in the final. After leading Al Ahly to their second league title in a row and the Arab Super Cup, Reiner Hollmann left the club in 1997. He was replaced by Rainer Zobel, who helped the club win the league for the fifth season in a row in 1997–98 and the 1998 Arab Super Cup title. In 1998, Al Ahly returned to African championships after six years.
In 2001, Al Ahly hired Manuel José as their coach, the first Portuguese manager for the club. Jose's first game was a friendly against Real Madrid in August 2001, where Al Ahly surprisingly won 1–0. This was the fourth time Al Ahly had beaten a European champion.
Al Ahly won the African Champions League title by beating Mamelodi Sundowns 4–1 over two games. They tied the first game 1–1 in South Africa and won the second game 3–0 in Cairo.
Al Ahly also won the 2002 CAF Super Cup 4–1 against Kaizer Chiefs F.C. in Cairo. Even though Manuel Jose didn't win any local championships in his first time as coach, his team had a huge 6–1 win against Zamalek in the league. Jose was later replaced by Johannes Bonfrere.
Golden Era (2005–2013)
Al Ahly won all their first 14 matches in the 2004–05 Egyptian Premier League season. They won the league title for the 29th time, which was the first local championship for coach Manuel José, who had been rehired. Al Ahly won the league by a huge 31-point difference. It was the first time a club won all its matches in the first half of a season since 1948.
Al Ahly also won their second Egyptian Super Cup in July 2005. At the end of 2005, the club won the CAF Champions League for the fourth time, beating Étoile du Sahel 3–0 in the final.
After winning the Champions League, the team set a record by not losing any game in an entire season across all competitions. They played 46 matches and won four different competitions. The club also set another record by not losing in 52 games over 852 days! Al Ahly played in the 2005 FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in December 2005 but didn't do well, losing both their matches.
The 2006–07 season was very successful. They won the Egyptian Super Cup, the league for the second time in a row, and the Egyptian Cup, completing a "domestic treble" (winning three major local titles).
Al Ahly also did well in the CAF Super Cup, reaching the final. They won the 2006 CAF Super Cup against CS Sfaxien 1–0.
The club then played in the 2006 FIFA Club World Cup again. This time, they did much better. They beat Auckland City FC 2–0 and then played against Brazilian club Internacional, losing 2–1. But Al Ahly won the bronze medal for the first time in African history by beating Club América 2–1.
Al Ahly played the 2007 CAF Super Cup on February 18, 2007, and won 5–4 on penalties after a 0–0 draw. This made them equal to Zamalek with 3 Super Cup titles, and they later won three more to set a new record. Al Ahly also set a record for playing in the African Super Cup the most times (8 times).
Al Ahly continued to win the league title, winning the Egyptian Premier League for the 4th time in a row. They also won the Super Cup for the fourth time in a row, beating Zamalek 2–0. Al Ahly won the CAF Champions League for the sixth time, beating Coton Sport FC de Garoua 4–2 over two games. The club then went to the Club World Cup again but lost both matches.
The club started the 2008–09 season by winning the CAF Super Cup. They then had a close race for the league title with Ismaily, which Al Ahly won 1–0 in a playoff match. This was the last championship for Manuel José in his second time as coach. He was replaced by Hossam El-Badry. El Badry helped Al Ahly win the 2009–10 league title, becoming the first Egyptian coach to win the league for the club in 23 years. Al Ahly also won the Egyptian Super Cup.
In the CAF Champions League, Al Ahly reached the semi-finals but were knocked out due to a referee's mistake.
Sports activities in Egypt were stopped because of the Port Said Stadium riot, where many people were killed and injured. In the first match after sports returned, Al Ahly won the Egyptian Super Cup, beating Enppi 2–1 in an empty stadium. Despite these tough times, Al Ahly players managed to beat Esperance in the 2012 CAF Champions League Final. They tied the first game 1–1 and won the second game 2–1, earning their seventh African Champions League title.
Al Ahly, led by Hossam El Badri, finished fourth in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan. They won their first match but then lost to Corinthians and Monterrey.
Hossam El Badri left the team, and Mohamed Youssef took over. He led Al Ahly to win the 2013 CAF Champions League title for the eighth time, beating Orlando Pirates 2–0 in the second game after a 1–1 draw in the first.
Mahmoud Taher Era (2014–2017)
Al Ahly played in the African Confederations Cup after being knocked out of the Champions League early. They reached the final against Séwé FC but lost the first game 2–1. In the second game, Al Ahly's Emad Moteab scored a goal in the very last minute to win the cup! Coach Juan Carlos Garrido was later fired after the club was knocked out of the 2015 CAF Champions League on penalties.
Al Ahly's performance went down as many older star players retired. But the team got back on track when they played Zamalek in the Super Cup in Dubai in 2015.
Abdul-Aziz Abdul-Shafi led Al Ahly as coach to a 3–2 win over Zamalek, winning their ninth Egyptian Super Cup.
After not winning the 2014–15 league title, Al Ahly won the 2015–16 league. They won their 39th league title before the season even ended. The team went 39 games in a row without losing in all competitions and set a record of 30 games unbeaten in the league. However, they lost to Zamalek SC 3–1 in the 2016 Egypt Cup final. Under Hossam El-Badry, Al Ahly kept a clean sheet (didn't let opponents score) in 30 games that season.
The club then won the Egyptian Cup for the 36th time, beating Al Masry 2–1 in extra time.
Al Ahly reached the final of the 2017 CAF Champions League, tying 1–1 with Wydad AC in the first game. But they lost 1–0 in the second game and didn't win their 9th CAF Champions League trophy.
Mahmoud El Khatib Era & Return to African Success (2017–Present)
On December 1, 2017, Mahmoud El Khatib was chosen as the new club president. He won with more votes than the previous president, Mahmoud Taher.
Al Ahly won the Egyptian Super Cup for the tenth time, beating Al Masry SC 1–0. The winning goal was scored by Walid Azaro, making him the first Moroccan and foreign player to score in the tournament.
The next season, the club won the Egyptian Premier League for the third time in a row, and the 40th time in its history. Al Ahly won the title six weeks before the season ended, making it the second fastest league win in their history.
Al Ahly reached the 2018 CAF Champions League Final but lost to Esperance Du Tunis. Al Ahly won the first game 3–1, but Esperance won the second game 3–0 to take the trophy.
On April 9, 2019, Al Ahly was knocked out of the 2018–19 CAF Champions League in the quarter-finals after a big 5–0 loss to Mameloudi Sundowns. This was the club's biggest loss since 1942 in the CAF Champions League.
Al Ahly managed to win the 2018–19 Egyptian Premier League title for the fourth season in a row, and the 41st time overall. This win made Al Ahly the most crowned club in world football with 20 continental titles at that time.
On August 31, 2019, René Weiler became the new coach. Weiler won his first title with the club in less than a month, as Al Ahly won the Egyptian Super Cup for the 11th time, beating Zamalek 3–2. On September 18, Al Ahly won their 42nd Egyptian Premier League title. Weiler later left the club and was replaced by Pitso Mosimane. On November 27, Al Ahly faced rival Zamalek in the 2020 CAF Champions League Final and won 2–1. Magdy scored the winning goal for Al Ahly in the 86th minute, giving Al Ahly their ninth CAF Champions League title. About a week later, Al Ahly defeated Tala'ea El Gaish SC in the Egypt Cup final on penalties. With this, Al Ahly won the treble (three major titles) for the third time, becoming the first African team to do so three times.
Al Ahly played in the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup. They beat the host team Al Duhail in the first match, which led them to play against European champions Bayern Munich in the semi-finals. Bayern defeated Al Ahly 2–0. Al Ahly then won the bronze medal for the second time in the club's history by beating Palmeiras, becoming the first and only Arab or African team to win two medals in the tournament.
On May 28, 2021, Al Ahly defeated RS Berkane 2–0 in the 2021 CAF Super Cup, winning their 22nd continental title. On July 17, 2021, Al Ahly defeated Kaizer Chiefs 3–0 in the Champions League Final, winning their tenth Champions League and 23rd continental title.
On September 21, 2021, Al Ahly lost the Egyptian Super Cup on penalties. The club's board took disciplinary action, but it was later lifted after Al Ahly beat Zamalek 5–3 in the Cairo derby.
On December 22, 2021, Al Ahly won its eighth CAF Super Cup after beating Raja CA on penalties.
Al Ahly played in the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup in the United Arab Emirates. They won their first match against Monterrey despite having many players missing. In the semi-final, Al Ahly lost to Palmeiras. Al Ahly then won third place in the FIFA Club World Cup for the third time by beating Al Hilal 4–0, which was their biggest win in the tournament.
Al Ahly reached the CAF Champions League Final for the third time in a row under Pitso Mosimane but lost 2–0 to Wydad AC.
On June 13, 2022, Mosimane left Al Ahly, and Samy Koumsan became the temporary manager. On June 29, 2022, Ricardo Soares took over as manager. His first game was a 2–0 win in the Egypt Cup semi-final, but Al Ahly lost the final to Zamalek. During this time, Al Ahly's performance declined, and they finished third in the Egyptian Premier League, which was their lowest finish since the 1991–92 season.
Ricardo Soares was fired on August 31, 2022.
He was replaced by Marcel Koller on September 9, 2022. Marcel Koller won his first trophy when Al Ahly beat Zamalek 2–0 in the Egyptian Super Cup.
Under Marcel Koller, Al Ahly beat Smouha SC 3–1 in the Egypt Cup semi-final to reach the final against Pyramids FC. A few weeks later, Al Ahly played Auckland City in the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup, winning 3–0. They then beat Seattle Sounders FC 1–0 to reach the semi-final against Real Madrid. Al Ahly lost to Real Madrid and then lost to Flamengo 4–2 in the third-place match, finishing fourth.
Al Ahly won the 2021–22 Egypt Cup, their 38th Egypt Cup title. They also won their 13th Egyptian Super Cup by beating Pyramids FC 1–0.
On June 11, 2023, Al Ahly won the 2022–23 CAF Champions League by beating Wydad AC 3–2 over two games in the final. This was their 11th CAF Champions League title. A month later, on July 10, Al Ahly won their 43rd Egyptian Premier League title. In the 2023–24 CAF Champions League, Al Ahly won their 12th title by beating Espérance de Tunis 1–0 in the final.
Rivalries
The Cairo Derby is a big rivalry between Egyptian clubs Al Ahly SC and Zamalek SC. Both clubs are in Greater Cairo, and their matches are the most exciting part of the football season. They are broadcast live to many countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The derby usually happens twice a season in the Egyptian Premier League, but they also play against each other in the Egypt Cup and the CAF Champions League.
Supporters
Ultras Ahlawy
Al Ahly has a huge fan group called Ultras Ahlawy. They are famous for their amazing displays with fireworks and banners. Ultras Ahlawy first showed their banner at a match on April 13, 2007. They also support Al Ahly's basketball, volleyball, and handball teams. Ultras Ahlawy members come from many different backgrounds in Egypt. Their motto is "Together Forever," showing the strong bond between them. Other popular sayings include "WE ARE EGYPT" and "The best club in the universe."
Port Said Stadium Riot
On February 1, 2012, a very sad event happened at Port Said Stadium after a football match between Al-Masry and Al Ahly. After Al-Masry won, some Al-Masry supporters attacked Al Ahly fans. This tragic event resulted in the deaths of 72 Al Ahly supporters and injured more than 500 people. Many of the deaths happened because the stadium gates were not opened. This event had a huge impact on Egyptian football and led to sports activities being postponed for a long time.
Anthem
"Arise, Al Ahly" is the club's official song. It was written by journalist Fekry Abaza in 1957 and composed by Mahmoud Sherif. The song was inspired by an older Egyptian revolution anthem. The lyrics are: Arise, Al Ahly, see your sons and the soldiers see your Battalions, see your soldiers and the crowds See the signs of victory through all the generations see and record the glories of immortality in them You are always you are always always on the top Every blessing in your life is with us and that is the will of our Lord From your elders we gained our glory and with your youth we kept our name You are always you are always always on the top
Grounds
Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium (Training Ground)
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The club first built its stadium in 1909, calling it "Al-Hawsh" (meaning "the courtyard"). Over time, it became known as Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium, named after the club legend Mokhtar El-Tetsh. In 1929, it was called Prince Farouk Stadium. Al Ahly played their home games here until the Cairo International Stadium opened. Today, Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium is used for team training and friendly matches.
Cairo International Stadium
Al Ahly used to play at Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium, but it was too small for their many fans. So, Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium became the training ground, and Cairo International Stadium became their main home stadium. From 2014 to 2017, Al Ahly didn't play at Cairo International Stadium for safety reasons. They played most of their home games at Al Salam Stadium and African matches at Borg El Arab Stadium. In the 2017–18 season, Al Ahly returned to Cairo International Stadium as their official home ground.
Al Ahly WE Al Salam Stadium
On December 4, 2019, Al Ahly announced they had taken over Al Salam Stadium for 25 years. This stadium was renamed Al Ahly Stadium. Bigger matches that need more space will still be played at Cairo Stadium.
The first match at the new Al Ahly Stadium was on December 6, 2019. Even though Al Ahly took over the stadium, another club, El Entag El Harby, was allowed to keep playing their home matches there. All national teams are also allowed to use the stadium.
Zayed City Stadium
In November 2022, Al Ahly made a deal with Populous, a company famous for building stadiums like Arsenal's Emirates Stadium and London's Wembley Stadium. They plan to build a brand new stadium for Al Ahly.
This new stadium will be in Sheikh Zayed City and will cover about 46,000 square meters. It's designed to hold around 50,000 fans, making it the third-largest stadium in Egypt.
Here are some cool things about the new stadium and its sports complex:
- Stadium: It will have about 50,000 seats and modern facilities for a great fan experience.
- Sporting Complex: Around the stadium, there will be a squash complex with eight courts, a gymnastics hall, and a karate hall. There will also be special training grounds for football.
- Building Time: The new stadium is expected to be finished in about 3 years. It aims to be a world-class stadium that shows Al Ahly's importance in African football.
Media
Al Ahly TV is an Egyptian-Arab TV channel that shows the football team's friendly matches, youth team games, and other sports. The channel started in 2008 and officially launched on December 3, 2010.
The club also has its own YouTube channel with over 1.16 million subscribers. They often post training videos, special features, and match highlights. On January 22, 2021, their YouTube channel released a documentary called "Secret of the 9th," which got one million views in less than a day!
Al Ahly also has its own weekly magazine that shares news about the club.
As of October 12, 2022, Al-Ahly was the most popular football club from Africa on social media:
| # | Football club | Country | Followers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Ahly | Egypt | 33 million |
| 2 | Zamalek SC | Egypt | 13 million |
| 3 | Raja CA | Morocco | 7 million |
| 4 | Kaizer Chiefs | South Africa | 6 million |
| 5 | Orlando Pirates | South Africa | 4 million |
| 6 | Simba SC | Tanzania | 4 million |
Kits and Crest
On November 3, 1917, Mohamed Sherif Sabri Bek designed Al Ahly's first logo. It was inspired by the red and white colors of the Egyptian flag at that time. It also had a crown to represent Egypt's royal family. In 1952, after the July Revolution changed Egypt to a republic, the crown was removed and replaced with the word "Nady" (which means club in Arabic). The logo stayed the same until 2007, when it was slightly changed to celebrate the club's 100th birthday. In late 2018, a fourth star was added to the top of the badge after Al Ahly won its 40th league title. In 2020, Al Ahly's crest was voted "the second most beautiful in the game" by a Spanish newspaper called Marca.
| The Evolution of the Crest of Al Ahly SC | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1907–1917 | 1917–1952 | 1952–2007 | 2007– | |||||
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| Football club kit crest | ||||||||
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| 2023– | ||||||||
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Al Ahly's uniform has always been a red shirt, white shorts, and red socks.
     Classic
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Kit Suppliers & Shirt Sponsors
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 1978–1979 | Umbro | Mansour Group |
| 1979–1980 | Old Spice | |
| 1980–1983 | Puma | Helwan For Import & Export |
| 1983–1989 | Coca-Cola | |
| 1989–1993 | Umbro | |
| 1993–2000 | Adidas | |
| 2000–2001 | Nike | |
| 2002 | Vodafone | |
| 2002–2009 | Puma | |
| 2009–2011 | Adidas | |
| 2011–2014 | Etisalat | |
| 2014–2015 | Sporta | |
| 2015–2018 | Vodafone | |
| 2018–2022 | Umbro | WE |
| 2022– | Adidas | e& |
 2005–08 Home
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     2012–14 Away
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    2016–17 Home
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    2017–18 Away
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     2019–20 Home
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     2021–22 Away
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     2022–23 Home
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Honours
| Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | Egyptian Premier League | 44 | 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2022–23, 2023–24 |
| Egypt Cup | 39 | 1923–24, 1924–25, 1926–27, 1927–28, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1936–37, 1939–40, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1952–53, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1965–66, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1995–96, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2016–17, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23 | |
| Egyptian Super Cup | 15 | 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 | |
| Sultan Hussein Cup | 7 | 1922–23, 1924–25, 1925–26, 1926–27, 1928–29, 1930–31, 1937–38 | |
| Egyptian Confederation Cup | 1S | 1990 | |
| Cairo League | 17 | 1924–25, 1926–27, 1927–28,
1928–29, 1930–31, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1941–42, 1942–43, 1945–46, 1947–48, 1949–50, 1953-54, 1957–58 |
|
| United Arab Republic Cup | 1 | 1961 | |
| Continental | CAF Champions League | 12 | 1982, 1987, 2001, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24 |
| African Cup Winners' Cup | 4 | 1984, 1985, 1986, 1993 | |
| CAF Confederation Cup | 1 | 2014 | |
| CAF Super Cup | 8 | 2002, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2021, 2021 | |
| Intercontinental | African–Asian–Pacific Cup | 1 | 2024 |
| Afro-Asian Cup | 1 | 1988 | |
| Regional | Arab Club Champions Cup | 1 | 1996 |
| Arab Cup Winners' Cup | 1 | 1994 | |
| Arab Super Cup | 2S | 1997, 1998 |
- record
- S shared record
Awards & Recognitions
- CAF Club of the 20th Century: 2001
- African Inter-Club Team of the Year (6): (2005), (2006), (2008), (2012), (2013), (2023)
- Globe Soccer Top Titles Winners in the Middle East: 2020
- Globe Soccer for The Best Middle East Club: 2023
- First place in the monthly international rankings of football history and strength (2): June 2006, July 2007
- Certificate of Conformity to International Standards (ISO 9001:2015): 2020
Seasons
Recent Seasons
| Season | League | Egypt Cup | Egyptian Super Cup | Continental / Other | CAF Super Cup | FIFA Club World Cup | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | |||||||
| 2019–20 | EPL | 1st | 34 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 74 | 8 | +66 | 89 | Winner | Runner-up | CAF Champions League | Winner | DNQ | DNQ |
| 2020–21 | EPL | 2nd | 34 | 22 | 10 | 2 | 72 | 29 | +43 | 76 | Runner-up | Runner-up | CAF Champions League | Winner | Winner | 3rd |
| 2021–22 | EPL | 3rd | 34 | 20 | 10 | 4 | 62 | 21 | +41 | 70 | Winner | Winner | CAF Champions League | Runner-up | Winner | 3rd |
| 2022–23 | EPL | 1st | 34 | 25 | 8 | 1 | 63 | 13 | +50 | 83 | Winner | Winner | CAF Champions League | Winner | DNQ | 4th |
| 2023–24 | EPL | 1st | 34 | 27 | 4 | 3 | 75 | 28 | +47 | 85 | Withdrew | Winner | CAF Champions League | Winner | Runner-up | 3rd |
CAF Overall Ranking of African Clubs
| Rank | Club | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Al Ahly |
119 |
| 2 |  Espérance Tunis |
72 |
| 3 |  TP Mazembe |
67.5 |
| 4 | Étoile du Sahel |
58 |
| 5 |  Wydad |
51 |
| 6 | Zamalek |
45 |
| 7 | Raja Casablanca |
38 |
| 8 |  Mamelodi Sundowns |
37 |
| 9 |  Enyimba |
31 |
| 10 | CS Sfaxien |
31 |
| Rank | Club | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Ahly |
40 |
| 2 | Zamalek |
37 |
| 3 |  Asante Kotoko |
34 |
| 4 |  Canon Yaoundé |
34 |
| 5 | Espérance Tunis |
27 |
| 6 |  ASEC Mimosas |
27 |
| 7 | Hearts of Oak |
26 |
| 8 | Africa Sports |
25 |
| 9 |  JS Kabylie |
22 |
| 10 | TP Mazembe |
20 |
CAF 5-Year Ranking
This ranking shows how clubs have performed in CAF competitions over the last five seasons. It helps decide which clubs get to play in the 2024–25 CAF Champions League and 2024–25 CAF Confederation Cup.
| Rank | Club | 2019–20 (× 1) |
2020–21 (× 2) |
2021–22 (× 3) |
2022–23 (× 4) |
2023–24 (× 5) |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Ahly |
6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 87 |
| 2 | Espérance de Tunis |
3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 61 |
| 3 | Wydad |
4 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 60 |
| 4 | Mamelodi Sundowns |
3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 54 |
| 5 | Zamalek |
5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 48 |
| 6 | RS Berkane |
5 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 42 |
| 7 |  Simba |
0 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 39 |
| 8 |  Petro de Luanda |
2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 39 |
| 9 | TP Mazembe |
3 | 2 | 3 | 0.5 | 4 | 38 |
| 10 | CR Belouizdad |
0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 37 |
Players
Current Squad
|
|
Coaching Staff
.jpg)
| Coaching staff | |
|---|---|
 Marcel Koller |
Head coach |
| Harald Gämperle |
Assistant coach |
 Carlos Bernegger |
Assistant coach |
| Samy Komsan |
Assistant coach |
 Michel Iannacone |
Goalkeeping coach |
| Fitness coaches | |
| Tizian Ndoyi |
Fitness Coach |
| Medical department | |
| Ahmed Gaballah |
Team doctor |
| Hany Wahba |
Team doctor |
| Mohamed Wafaay |
Physiotherapist |
| Ahmed Abou El-Wafa |
Psychologist |
Board of Directors
| Office | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Mahmoud El Khatib |
| Vice President | El Amry Farouk (deceased) |
| Secretary of the fund | Khaled Mortagy (also Acting Vice President) |
| Board Member | Hossam Ghaly |
| Board Member | Mohamed Shawky |
| Board Member | Mai Atef |
| Board Member | Tarek Kandil |
| Board Member | Mohamed Al-Ghazawy |
| Board Member | Mohamed Al-Damaty |
| Board Member | Mohanad Magdy |
| Board Member | Mohamed Serag |
| Board Member | Mohamed El-Garhy |
- Source: [1]
Club Figures
Presidents
| No | Tenure | Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st |  Alfred Mitchell-Innes |
1907 | 1908 |
| 2 | 1st |  Aziz Ezzat Pacha |
1908 | 1916 |
| 3 | 1st |  Abdelkhaleq Tharwat Pacha |
1916 | 1924 |
| 4 | 1st | Gaafar Waly Pacha |
1924 | 1940 |
| 5 | 1st | Mohamed Taher Pacha |
1940 | 1941 |
| 6 | 2nd | Gaafar Waly Pacha |
1941 | 1944 |
| 7 | 1st | Ahmed Hasanein Pacha |
1944 | 1946 |
| 8 | 1st |  Ahmed Aboud Pacha |
1946 | 1961 |
| 9 | 1st | Salah Dessouki |
1961 | 1965 |
| 10 | 1st | Abdelmohsen Kamel Mortagy |
1965 | 1967 |
| 11 | 1st |  Ibrahim El Wakil |
1967 | 1972 |
| 12 | 2nd | Abdelmohsen Kamel Mortagy |
1972 | 1980 |
| 13 | 1st | Saleh Selim |
1980 | 1988 |
| 14 | 1st | Saleh El Wahsh |
1988 | 1992 |
| 15 | 2nd | Saleh Selim |
1992 | 2002 |
| 16 | 1st | Hassan Hamdy |
2002 | 2014 |
| 17 | 1st | Mahmoud Taher |
2014 | 2017 |
| 18 | 1st | Mahmoud El Khatib |
2017 | Present |
Captains
Al Ahly has had 48 club captains throughout its history. The first captain was Ahmed Fouad Anwar. Mohamed El-Shenawy has been the current captain since 2020.
| No. | Name |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ahmed Fouad Anwar |
| 2 | Hussein Hegazi |
| 3 | Riyad Shawki |
| 4 | Ali El Hassany |
| 5 | Mahmoud Mokhtar El-Tetch |
| 6 | Mohamed Ali Rasmi |
| 7 | Ahmed Soliman |
| 8 | Amin Shoa'air |
| 9 | Moustafa Kamel Mansour |
| 10 | Saleh El-Sawwaf |
| 11 | Hussein Madkour |
| 12 | Mohamed El-Guindi |
| 13 | Ahmed Mekawi |
| 14 | Abdel Galil Hemaida |
| 15 | Saleh Selim |
| 16 | Rifaat El-Fanagily |
| 17 | Taha Ismail |
| 18 | Mimi El-Sherbini |
| 19 | Essam Abdel Monem |
| 20 | Hany Moustafa |
| 21 | Anwar Salama |
| 22 | Hassan Hamdy |
| 23 | Mustafa Younis |
| 24 | Moustafa Abdou |
| 25 | Mahmoud El-Khateeb |
| 26 | Thabet El-Batal |
| 27 | Taher Abouzaid |
| 28 | Rabie Yassin |
| 29 | Magdi Abdelghani |
| 30 | Ahmed Shobair |
| 31 | Osama Orabi |
| 32 | Hossam Hassan |
| 33 | Walid Salah El-Din |
| 34 | Hady Khashaba |
| 35 | Sayed Abdel Hafeez |
| 36 | Essam El Hadary |
| 37 | Shady Mohamed |
| 38 | Ahmed Belal |
| 39 | Osama Hosny |
| 40 | Ahmad El-Sayed |
| 41 | Wael Gomaa |
| 42 | Mohamed Aboutrika |
| 43 | Hossam Ghaly |
| 44 | Emad Moteab |
| 45 | Hossam Ashour |
| 46 | Sherif Ekramy |
| 47 | Ahmed Fathy |
| 48 | Mohamed El Shenawy |
Images for kids
-
Omar Lotfy, a student who helped found the club.
See Also
In Spanish: Al-Ahly para niños
- Al Ahly Women
- Al Ahly Basketball
- Al Ahly Handball
- Al Ahly Volleyball
