Club World Cup Preview: Al Ahly

Hooligan Soccer

·31 May 2025

Club World Cup Preview: Al Ahly

The third in our continuing series highlighting all the clubs in the FIFA Club World Cup, which starts on June 14th.

Club Background

From: Cairo, Egypt
How They Qualified: They are the three-time CAF (Africa) Champions League winners (2021, 2023, 2024).

Best CWC Finish: Al Ahly has been to this tournament ten times, which is the second most ever. Their best finish has been a Bronze medal (3rd place), which they’ve accomplished four times.
Recent Form: By their high standards, this hasn’t been the best season. They were eliminated from the CAF Champions League by Mamelodi Sundowns in the semi-final by away goal aggregate. They lost the Egyptian Super Cup to rival side Zamalek back in September. Although they finished second in the Egyptian Premier League regular season, they won the overall league title with a dominant performance in the eight game Championship round winning their final six matches by a combined 21 – 5.
Some Facts: The club was founded in 1907. They have had 48 different team captains in their history. Every single one has been Egyptian. They’ve had 72 different managers over 119 years. That’s a high turnover. 79% of their squad is Egyptian.

The Team

Manager: José Riveiro Riveiro just signed his contract with Al Ahly on May 29th. Previously he was managing Orlando Pirates in South Africa. The club just parted ways with long-time Swiss manager Marcel Koller in late April. Koller had been there since Sept. 2022 and led them to eleven major tournament wins.
Star Players: Wessam Abou Ali Palestinian striker with 15g/4a in 29 games across all competitions. Emam Ashour Egyptian central midfielder with 19g/9a in 37 games across all competitions. Rami Rabia Veteran Egyptian center defender. Leads the side with 42 tackles and 32 interceptions.
Young Players to Watch: Nejc Gradišar A 22-year old Slovenian forward who transferred in during the winter window. He has 5g/5a in 14 games. Ahmed Nabil Koka A 23-year old left midfielder who recently received a substantial pay raise, showing his worth to the side. He played in 26 games this season and has better-than-average pass accuracy.

When to Watch

8:00pm ET on Jun 14, 2025 vs. Inter Miami @ Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, FL
12:00pm ET on Jun 19, 2025 vs. Palmeiras @ Metlife Stadium, Rutherford, NJ
9:00pm ET on Jun 23, 2025 vs. FC Porto @ Metlife Stadium, Rutherford, NJ

The Hooligan Take

I originally had Al Ahly as a not-so-dark-horse pick to advance. They have a strong history in this competition and will not be phased by the environmental conditions of a U.S. summer. But with their recent manager upheaval, there are some questions. Assistant manager Emad El Nahhas was the caretaker manager in May and had an unblemished record of four straight wins. He’s still there, so maybe they’ll be OK?