Al Ahly SC facts for kids
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Full name | Al Ahly Sporting Club | ||
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Nickname(s) | الشياطين الحمر (The Red Devils) نادي القرن الإفريقي (African Club of the Century) القلعة الحمراء (The Red Castle) نادي الوطنية (Club of Patriotism) المارد الأحمر (The Red Giant) |
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Short name | AHL | ||
Founded | 24 April 1907 | ||
Ground | Cairo International Stadium | ||
Capacity | 75,000 | ||
Chairman | Mahmoud El Khatib | ||
Manager | José Riveiro | ||
League | Egyptian Premier League | ||
2024–25 | Egyptian Premier League, 1st of 18 (champions) | ||
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Al-Ahly Sporting Club, often called Al-Ahly, means The National in English. It is a professional sports club from Cairo, Egypt. The club is most famous for its amazing football team. They play in the Egyptian Premier League, which is the top football league in Egypt. Al-Ahly is known for winning many titles 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 and Yahia Baher. They have won a record 45 Egyptian Premier League titles, 39 Egypt Cup titles, and 15 Egyptian Super Cups. Al-Ahly is the most successful club in Africa when it comes to winning trophies.
In international games, Al-Ahly has won a record 12 CAF Champions League titles. They also have 1 CAF Confederation Cup, a record 8 CAF Super Cups, and a record 4 African Cup Winners' Cups. They won 1 Afro-Asian Club Championship, 1 Arab Club Champions Cup, 1 Arab Cup Winners' Cup, and a record 2 Arab Super Cups. Al-Ahly has also earned 4 bronze medals in the FIFA Club World Cup. Because of their 26 continental titles, CAF named Al-Ahly the African club of the 20th century.
Contents
Club History
How Al-Ahly Started
The idea for Al-Ahly came from Omar Lotfy in the early 1900s. He was a student at the Egyptian Law School and led the High School Students Club. He wanted a club where students could meet for sports and also talk about important political ideas.
Omar Lotfy shared his idea with friends, and they were very excited. 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 to start. The first official meeting of the club's board was on April 24, 1907.
The club needed money, so they sold shares for £E5 each, hoping to raise £E5,000. They only collected £E3,165, so they had to borrow money. Talaat Harb, a famous banker, also gave £E100 to help the club. The first honorary president was Saad Zaghloul, who was the Minister of Education. The name "Al Ahly" was suggested because it means "National" in Egyptian Arabic.
The club officially opened on February 26, 1909. At first, football wasn't the main goal. But students who joined loved football, so the club built its first stadium in 1909. They called it "Al-Hawsh," which means "the courtyard." This stadium later became Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium.
The first official football team was formed in 1911. They were mostly school players. Famous early players included Hussein Hegazi. In 1915, Al-Ahly traveled around Egypt to play games and help football become popular. They even played against teams from the British Army. Al-Ahly also helped create Egypt's first national football team for the 1920 Olympic Games and helped start the Egyptian Football Association.
Winning Early Titles (1918–1948)
Al-Ahly first refused to play against British clubs in the Sultan Hussein Cup in 1917. But then they decided to join in 1918 to show Egypt's presence in sports. In 1923, Al-Ahly won their first Sultan Hussein Cup. They won six more titles, becoming the record holders until 1938.
In 1924, they won the King Farouk Cup, beating El Sekka El Hadid 4–1. Mokhtar El Tetsh scored two goals in that game. In 1929, Al-Ahly's team went on a tour to Europe, playing against clubs in Turkey and Germany. In 1930, Mokhtar El Tetsh scored three goals in a game against their rival, Zamalek. Al-Ahly won the league in 1937 and the King Farouk Cup again. In 1938, they won the last Sultan Hussein Cup.
In 1943, the team traveled to Mandatory Palestine to play matches and support Palestine. This was a brave decision, even though some officials disagreed.
Dominating the League (1948–1967)

In the first Egyptian Premier League season in 1948, Al-Ahly won their first game 5–0. Ahmed Makkawi scored the first goal for Al-Ahly in the league's history. Mokhtar El Tetsh led Al-Ahly to win both the league and the cup in 1949.
The 1949–50 season was amazing for Al-Ahly. They won all the local championships, including the league and the Egypt Cup. They won the league for the third time in a row in 1951. After the 1952 Egyptian revolution, Gamal Abdel Nasser became the club's honorary president.
Al-Ahly won the league for the fourth time in a row in 1953. They also beat Zamalek 4–1 in the cup final. In 1954, they won their fifth straight league title. By 1957, they won the league for the seventh time in a row. In 1959, Al-Ahly won the league 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 in 1960, Al-Ahly won it again in 1961 for the tenth time. They also won the Egypt Cup that year.

First African Games (1967–1980)
After the Six-Day War in 1967, sports in Egypt stopped. Al-Ahly helped the country by hosting military training and collecting donations for the army. Many players retired to join the war effort. Because of this, Al-Ahly didn't win the league for 13 years.

The club started to get better when they hired Nándor Hidegkuti as coach in 1973. He brought in new, young players. The league title returned to Al-Ahly in 1975. Al-Ahly played in the African Champions League for the first time in 1976. They were knocked out early, but Mahmoud El Khatib scored Al-Ahly's first goal in an African competition. Al-Ahly won the Egyptian league again in 1976 and 1977.
Conquering Africa (1980–1990)
In 1982, Al-Ahly won the African Cup of Champions Clubs (now called the CAF Champions League). They beat Asante Kotoko in the final. They won the first game 3–0 in Cairo. The second game in Ghana ended in a 1–1 draw, so Al-Ahly won the cup!
Al-Ahly reached the African Champions League final again in 1983 but lost to Asante Kotoko. In 1984, Al-Ahly won the African Cup Winners' Cup. They won it again in 1985 and 1986, making it three wins in a row!
Al-Ahly won the Egyptian League in 1987. They also won the African Cup of Champions Clubs again in 1987, beating Al-Hilal Club. After this win, club legend Mahmoud El Khatib retired after 17 years of playing.
Arab Success and African Boycott (1990–2005)
In 1992, Al-Ahly won the Egypt Cup. They won the African Cup Winners' Cup for the fourth time in 1993. After this, Al-Ahly decided not to play in African tournaments for a while. This was because they felt the prize money was too low and they had issues with referee decisions.
Al-Ahly started playing in Arab championships instead. They won the 1994 Arab Cup Winners' Cup in 1994. They also won the league in 1994 and the Arab Super Cup in 1997 and 1998. In 1998, Al-Ahly returned to African competitions.
In 2001, Al-Ahly hired Manuel José as their coach. His first game was a friendly against Real Madrid, and Al-Ahly won 1–0! This was a big surprise. Al-Ahly then won the African Champions League in 2001, beating Mamelodi Sundowns. They also won the 2002 CAF Super Cup in 2002.
Golden Era (2005–2013)
In 2005, Al-Ahly won the Egyptian Premier League by a huge 31 points! They also won the Egyptian Super Cup. At the end of 2005, they won the CAF Champions League for the fourth time. That season, Al-Ahly went unbeaten in 46 matches across all competitions, winning four trophies! They also set a record of not losing in 52 games over 852 days.
Al-Ahly played in the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time in 2005 but didn't do well. However, in 2006, they did much better. They won their first game and reached the semi-finals. They then won the bronze medal, becoming the first African team to do so!

Al-Ahly continued to win, taking the Egyptian Super Cup and the league in 2007. They also won the Egypt Cup, completing a "domestic treble" (winning three major local trophies). They won the CAF Super Cup in 2007.
Al-Ahly won the Egyptian Premier League for the fourth time in a row in 2008. They also won the Super Cup and the CAF Champions League for the sixth time. They went to the Club World Cup again but didn't win a medal.
In 2009, Al-Ahly won the CAF Super Cup and the league again. This was Manuel José's last championship with the team. Hossam El-Badry took over and led Al-Ahly to win the league in 2010 and the Egyptian Super Cup.
In 2012, sports in Egypt were put on hold because of the Port Said Stadium riot. This was a very sad event where many Al-Ahly fans lost their lives. Despite these difficulties, Al-Ahly won the Egyptian Super Cup. They also won the CAF Champions League for the seventh time, beating Esperance.
Al-Ahly finished fourth in the 2012 FIFA Club World Cup in Japan. In 2013, Mohamed Youssef became coach and led Al-Ahly to win the CAF Champions League for the eighth time.
Recent Years (2014–Present)
Al-Ahly won the CAF Confederation Cup in 2014. They beat Séwé FC with a last-minute goal by Emad Moteab. After some changes in coaches and players, Al-Ahly started winning again.
In 2015, they won the Egyptian Super Cup against Zamalek in Dubai. In 2016, Al-Ahly won the league title for the 39th time. They also set a record of 30 games unbeaten in the league. In 2017, they won the Egyptian Cup. They reached the CAF Champions League final but lost.
On December 1, 2017, Mahmoud El Khatib, a club legend, was elected as the new president. Al-Ahly won the Egyptian Super Cup in 2018. They also won the Egyptian Premier League for the third time in a row, making it their 40th league title.
In 2018, Al-Ahly reached the CAF Champions League final again but lost to Espérance Sportive de Tunis. In 2019, they won the Egyptian Premier League for the fourth time in a row, their 41st league title. This made Al-Ahly the club with the most trophies in world football at that time, with 20 continental titles.
In 2019, René Weiler became the new coach and won the Egyptian Super Cup. In 2020, Al-Ahly won their 42nd Egyptian Premier League title. Then, under coach Pitso Mosimane, they beat rival Zamalek 2–1 in the CAF Champions League final, winning their ninth Champions League title! A week later, they won the Egypt Cup. This meant Al-Ahly won the "treble" (three major trophies) for the third time in their history, a first for an African team.
Al-Ahly played in the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup and won the bronze medal for the second time. In 2021, they won the CAF Super Cup and their tenth Champions League title. They also won their eighth CAF Super Cup in December 2021.
Al-Ahly earned another bronze medal at the 2021 FIFA Club World Cup in 2022, their third in the tournament. They reached the CAF Champions League final again in 2022 but lost.
In 2022, Marcel Koller became the new manager. He quickly led Al-Ahly to win the Egyptian Super Cup. They also won the Egypt Cup in 2023. In June 2023, Al-Ahly won the CAF Champions League for the 11th time, beating Wydad AC. A month later, they won their 43rd Egyptian Premier League title. In 2024, Al-Ahly won their 12th CAF Champions League title.
Rivalries
Cairo Derby
The Cairo Derby is a huge rivalry between Al-Ahly SC and Zamalek SC. Both clubs are from Greater Cairo, Egypt. Their matches are the most exciting games of the football season and are watched by many people across the Middle East and North Africa. They usually play twice a season in the Egyptian Premier League, but they also meet in the Egypt Cup and the CAF Champions League.
Supporters
Ultras Ahlawy
Al-Ahly has a very large and passionate group of fans called Ultras Ahlawy. They are famous for their amazing displays with flares and banners. Ultras Ahlawy first showed their support at a match in 2007. They also support Al-Ahly's basketball, volleyball, and handball teams. Their motto is "Together Forever," showing how strong their bond is.
Port Said Stadium Riot
On February 1, 2012, a terrible event happened at Port Said Stadium after a football match between Al-Masry and Al-Ahly. After Al-Masry won, their supporters attacked Al-Ahly fans. Many Al-Ahly supporters were killed and injured. This was a very sad day for Egyptian football.
Anthem
Al-Ahly's official song is "Arise, Al Ahly." It was written in 1957. The song talks about the club's history and glory.
Grounds
Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium (Training Ground)
When the club started, it built its first stadium in 1909, called "Al-Hawsh." Over time, it became known as Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium, named after a club legend. Al-Ahly used to play their home games here. Now, it's mainly 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 all their fans. So, Cairo International Stadium became their main home ground. From 2014 to 2017, Al-Ahly played their home games at other stadiums for safety reasons. But in the 2017–18 season, they returned to Cairo International Stadium. {{wide image|Al Ahly Vs Sundowns 2020.jpg|830px|align-cap=center|A wide view of Cairo International Stadium before an Al Ahly match.]]
Al Ahly Stadium
On February 14, 2025, Al-Ahly officially started building their "Project of the Century." This is a huge sports city in Sheikh Zayed, near Cairo. It will include:
- A new stadium with 42,000 seats, designed so fans are close to the action.
- Special facilities like a sports hospital, a museum about the club, a sports university, a youth academy, and a hotel.
The stadium and hotel will be built first. The university, hospital, and extra training fields will come later. The project is expected to take about four years to finish.
Media
Al Ahly TV is a TV channel that shows the football team's friendly games, youth team matches, and other sports. It started broadcasting officially in 2010.
Al-Ahly also has a popular YouTube channel with over 1.16 million subscribers. They post training videos, special features, and match highlights. In 2021, a documentary called Secret of the 9th got over a million views in less than a day. The club also has its own weekly magazine.
Al-Ahly is one of the most popular football clubs on social media in Africa. In October 2022, they had 33 million followers, leading other big clubs like Zamalek and Raja CA.
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 the time. It also had a crown, showing Egypt's royal rule. After the 1952 revolution, the crown was removed and replaced with the word "Nady" (club). The logo changed slightly in 2007 for the club's 100th birthday. In 2018, a fourth star was added to the badge after Al-Ahly won its 40th league title. In 2020, a Spanish newspaper voted Al-Ahly's crest the "second most beautiful in the game."
How Al Ahly SC's Crest Changed Over Time | ||||||||
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1907–1917 | 1917–1952 | 1952–2007 | ||||||
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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.
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Kit Suppliers and Shirt Sponsors
Years | Kit Maker | Shirt Sponsor |
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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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Trophies and Awards
Al-Ahly has won many important trophies, both in Egypt and across Africa. They are known for being one of the most successful clubs in the world.
Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
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Domestic | Egyptian Premier League | 45 | 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, 2024–25 |
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 | FIFA 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 and Recognitions
- CAF Club of the 20th Century: 2001
- FIFA Club World Cup bronze medal (4): 2006, 2020, 2021, 2023
- African Inter-Club Team of the Year (7): 2005, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2023, 2024
- Globe soccer Top Titles Winners in the Middle East: 2020
- Globe Soccer for The Best Middle East Club: 2023
Seasons
Recent Seasons
Season | League | Egypt Cup | Egyptian Super Cup | Continental / other | CAF Super Cup | FIFA Club World Cup | ||||||||||
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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 |
Players
Current Squad
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Youth Academy
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Out on Loan
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Notable Players
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Coaching Staff
Board of Directors
Office | Name |
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Secretary of the fund | ![]() |
Board Member | ![]() |
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Club Figures
Presidents
No | Time in Office | Name | From | To |
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1 | 1st | ![]() |
1907 | 1908 |
2 | 1st | ![]() |
1908 | 1916 |
3 | 1st | ![]() |
1916 | 1924 |
4 | 1st | ![]() |
1924 | 1940 |
5 | 1st | ![]() |
1940 | 1941 |
6 | 2nd | ![]() |
1941 | 1944 |
7 | 1st | ![]() |
1944 | 1946 |
8 | 1st | ![]() |
1946 | 1961 |
9 | 1st | ![]() |
1961 | 1965 |
10 | 1st | ![]() |
1965 | 1967 |
11 | 1st | ![]() |
1967 | 1972 |
12 | 2nd | ![]() |
1972 | 1980 |
13 | 1st | ![]() |
1980 | 1988 |
14 | 1st | ![]() |
1988 | 1992 |
15 | 2nd | ![]() |
1992 | 2002 |
16 | 1st | ![]() |
2002 | 2014 |
17 | 1st | ![]() |
2014 | 2017 |
18 | 1st | ![]() |
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.
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Images for kids
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Al Ahly team in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Mandatory Palestine.
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Al Ahly team in the first Egyptian League (1948).
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Al Ahly's captain Saleh Selim shaking hands with Zamalek's captain before a game in 1959.
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Nándor Hidegkuti (coach) and Mahmoud El Khatib (player).
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Mohamed Aboutrika, one of Al Ahly's legendary players.
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A wide view of Cairo International Stadium before an Al Ahly match.