Taher Mohamed: Al Ahly’s Barcelona fixture will be a celebration

Taher Mohamed says Al Ahly’s friendly against Barcelona in the Joan Gamper Trophy will be a “celebration” as the Egyptian club continue their preparations for the 2026-27 season.

Al Ahly are currently holding their pre-season training camp in Spain, where Taher says the atmosphere has been positive and new arrivals have quickly settled into the squad.

“The atmosphere at the camp is very good, and the new players have integrated quickly,” Taher told the club’s media centre. “Whether Egyptian or foreign, we have had enough time to get closer and get to know one another.”

The match against Barcelona is expected to provide one of the highlights of Al Ahly’s preparations.

“The Barcelona match will be a celebration,” said Taher. “They hold this trophy almost every year, so it will be enjoyable and the atmosphere will be special.”

“We will certainly benefit from the occasion, and we hope it will be a good experience for us before the start of the season.”

Taher also confirmed that his contract renewal with Al Ahly had been agreed quickly after discussions with club official Sayed Abdel Hafiz.

“Sayed Abdel Hafiz spoke to me at the end of last season, then we met again at the start of preparations for the new season and quickly agreed everything concerning the renewal,” he said.

“Continuing my career with Al Ahly is a great honour and a step I am proud of. Since arriving at the club, I have wanted to achieve as much success as possible, help win as many trophies as we can and fulfil my personal ambitions.”

Taher joined Al Ahly without having won a trophy, but says the club has helped him build an impressive honours list and establish himself among the players who have shaped its history.

“Before joining Al Ahly, I had not won any trophies, but the club helped me increase my medal tally and put my name among the great players who have made history here,” he said. “That is why I consider staying a great honour and a wonderful opportunity to win more trophies.”

He added: “I hope next season will be a good one and that all the seasons ahead with Al Ahly will be successful. I want to give the club and the supporters what they expect from me.”

Taher said negotiations over his new deal had been straightforward because he had not made demands of the club.

“The renewal talks were very easy,” he said. “I did not have any requests or conditions for the club. On the contrary, I am proud to be at Al Ahly, ready to continue with them and carry out everything they ask of me.”

The forward also said he had worked hard to adapt to the demands of every manager, whether Egyptian or foreign.

“With every manager who comes to Al Ahly, I feel that I perform well and try to do what he asks of me in training,” Taher said. “I always give 100% of my effort, whether the manager is foreign or Egyptian.”

He admitted the pressure of playing for Al Ahly can be difficult to manage, but said experience and support from the club’s psychologist had helped him.

“The pressure on Al Ahly players is always difficult, and there are players who may not be able to cope with it, but I have learned a lot since joining the club,” he said.

“At first it can be difficult, but with experience you learn how to deal with these things. Having a psychologist on the staff also helps us a lot, whether by speaking with him or expressing what we are feeling.”

Taher believes competition for attacking places can benefit everyone in the squad. He has played alongside a succession of wingers and forwards during his time at the club and says those experiences have added to his game.

“The quality of the attacking players at Al Ahly is always good, and of course there are many options available to the manager,” he said. “The more choices there are, the more it helps players develop. Even in training, we helped one another improve.”

He added: “Over the past few years, a large number of wingers and forwards have played for Al Ahly. Playing alongside all those players gave me a lot of experience and added things that had been missing from my game. I believe that is useful for any player and any manager.”

Taher said his ability to operate in several attacking roles remained an advantage.

“Playing in more than one attacking position is good for me,” he said. “I have played as a striker many times and I am comfortable in that role. I can also play on the right or left wing, and I always try to perform well.”

“Even if the team uses a system with five players in the front line, or there is a role for the right winger in a particular plan, I can do that job. Whatever position the coaching staff asks me to play, I will work hard and perform well.”

He said manager Hussein Ammouta had addressed the squad collectively rather than speaking to him individually.

“The manager’s talk was with the whole team and he did not speak to me individually,” Taher said. “Everything was discussed collectively during meetings and training sessions.”

Taher also played down the importance of results in pre-season matches, saying the priority was to build players’ fitness by gradually increasing their playing time.

“Some matches we win by a big score and others we lose, but I do not think the results of preparation matches matter at all,” he said. “The most important thing is for players to get minutes gradually: starting with 45 minutes, then 60, and eventually reaching 90. For me, that is the main objective of friendly matches.”

He described a cartilage injury as the toughest period of his Al Ahly career because it required an extended course of physiotherapy and rehabilitation.

“The most difficult moment was when I suffered a cartilage injury and went through a period of physiotherapy and rehabilitation,” Taher said. “It was a difficult time for me.”

Taher was critical of Al Ahly’s previous campaign, despite the club winning the Egyptian Super Cup.

“Last season was difficult for us,” he said. “We won only the Egyptian Super Cup, but that was not enough. It was not a good season for the team because Al Ahly’s ambitions are always greater than that. We want to compete for every trophy and keep winning them.”

He identified the 2024-25 campaign as one of his best seasons at the club.

“One of the most beautiful seasons for me was 2024-25,” he said. “We went through more than one good period, and there were special moments for me and for the team.”

Al Ahly’s first league match of the new season will be against Eastern Company Enppi.