2023-09-20 23:57:33
A difficult opening awaits Al-Ahly and Zamalek in the Egyptian League
Al-Ahly, the defending champion, and its rival, Zamalek, are facing two difficult confrontations in the first stage of the 65th edition of the Egyptian Football Championship, which includes 18 clubs, including the rising trio FCZ, the municipality of Mahalla and El-Gouna, and is witnessing an increase in public attendance to ten thousand spectators.
The transfer season witnessed Egyptian clubs spending approximately 18 million US dollars, less than in the past, when the value of transfers exceeded 30 million dollars. Al-Ahly was satisfied with three deals, while Zamalek did not conclude any contracts due to the decision of the International Federation (FIFA) to ban it from registration for three periods for not paying a financial fine.
Imam Ashour, the former Zamalek player who is coming to Al-Ahly from Danish Midtjylland, is considered the most expensive player in the summer transfers, with a value of $3 million, followed by Moroccan Reda Slim, who is coming to Al-Ahly from the Royal Moroccan Army, with a value of 2.2 million dollars.
Al-Ahly fans came out in force to support their team in Taif (Al-Ahly of Egypt)
Al-Ahly, which holds the record for the number of times it has won the championship (43), begins the campaign to defend its title with a difficult confrontation against its Egyptian guest on Tuesday at the Army Stadium in Burj Al Arab.
The African champion is seeking to reconcile with his fans, after losing the African Super Cup to Algeria’s USM Algiers on Friday, especially after strengthening his attack with French veteran Anthony Modest (35 years old), who came from German Borussia Dortmund in a free transfer deal that cost the club’s treasury $1.6 million in annual salary.
Al-Ahly’s task, returning from a preparation camp in Austria led by Swiss Marcel Kohler in his second season with the team, will not be easy in facing Al-Masry, returning from his Moroccan camp led by his new coach, Ali Maher.
Maher assumed responsibility at the end of last season, succeeding Mimi Abdel Razek, and strengthened his ranks with Baher El Mohammadi, Mohamed El Shami, international Mahmoud Hamada, Tunisian Fakhreddine Ben Youssef, and Algerian Gilas Kenawi.
Zamalek wants to win the league title (Zamalek Club)
Zamalek, which is mired in its financial, administrative and technical crises, will be a guest of stable Pyramids on Thursday at the Air Defense Stadium.
Zamalek came out of its last season without a title, finishing third in the league that it held two seasons in a row. It was eliminated from the CAF Champions League in the group stage and lost the Egyptian Cup and the local Super Cup titles.
It is facing a financial crisis and debts to governmental and international bodies and former foreign players and coaches, and the removal of its controversial president, Mortada Mansour, from his position after he was punished with six months in prison, in a case of insulting and defaming a public employee of the Central Auditing Organization.
The rest of his board members resigned and he is suffering technically with his Colombian coach, Juan Carlos Osorio, as he was eliminated from the group stage in the Arab Club Championship last month. He also lost last Saturday to the obscure Arta Sola of Djibouti 0-2 in the first leg of the first round (32nd) of the African Confederation Cup, the runner-up to the Champions League. .
On the other hand, Pyramids, runner-up in the last edition, decided to renew the contract of its Portuguese coach, Jaime Pacheco, and returned with a cautious result from its host, the Rwandan Army (0-0), in the first leg of the second round of the Champions League, which it is playing for the first time.
He signed nine players, led by Zamalek duo Youssef Osama Nabih and Saif Farouk Jaafar in a free transfer, and the trio of Future Mohamed Reda (Bobo), Amr Merhi and Muhannad Lashin, and the Democratic Congolese Veston Mayele, the Tanzanian Young Africans striker.
Zamalek fans always support their team in competitions (Zamalek Club)
The new season’s matches will begin with the match between Vanguard El Gaish, led by its coach Abdel Hamid Bassiouni, and the National Bank, led by Cypriot Nicodemos Papavassiliou, on Monday at the Military Sports Authority Stadium.
In a risky adventure, Al-Ismaili, who survived the relegation, takes on a group of young men, depriving him of registration due to non-payment of the dues of his former Tunisian player, Noureddine Al-Zaman, estimated at 600 thousand dollars. He is a guest of FCZ in the first appearance of the “Investment” team in the league, led by coach Magdy Abdel Aty.
Al-Dakhiliya, led by new coach Mimi Abdel Razek Enppi, will host Tamer Mostafa on Wednesday at Al-Salam Stadium.
Mahalla Municipality, which is returning to the Premier League after a 15-year absence under the leadership of coach Ahmed Abdel Raouf, will be the guest of the Arab Contractors, led by Shawky Gharib, in its third season.
The third Monday matches will conclude with Smouha, led by Ahmed Sami, facing El Gouna, the third ranked team in the league, led by Alaa Abdel-Al, at Alexandria Stadium.
Pharco returned to the transfer market after missing two registration periods due to the contract with Sudanese Saif Terry, who is linked to a contract with Al-Merreikh Club. Portuguese coach Bruno Romaro’s team has completed the signing of 22 players and will host Future, under the supervision of its new Portuguese coach, Ricardo Formosinho, on Thursday at the Army Stadium in Burj Al Arab.
The stage matches will conclude with Al-Ittihad Alexandria, led by its former player, Tarek Al-Ashry, facing for the first time in his coaching career, with Ceramica Cleopatra, led by Ayman Al-Ramadi, at Alexandria Stadium.
1695266420
#Lebanese #aspirations #archery #taekwondo