Ahly to face Barcelona in historic Joan Gamper Trophy clash in August

Al Ahly will face Barcelona in a high-profile friendly on 19 August in the Joan Gamper Trophy, with the Cairo club becoming the first Arab side to take part in the competition under its current format.

The Egyptian champions confirmed on Friday that they had reached agreement with the Spanish giants for the match, which forms part of the 61st edition of Barcelona’s traditional pre-season curtain-raiser.

Ahly said in a statement on their official website that the deal was finalised during a brief visit to Spain by a delegation from Al Ahly Football Company, which included board member and company director Ahmed Hossam Awad and the company’s chief executive, Nira Ali.

The fixture had already been widely expected after FilGoal.com reported that negotiations between the two clubs were close to completion.

Linked to Hamza Abdel Karim transfer

Spanish newspaper Marca had previously reported that Ahly’s participation in the Joan Gamper Trophy formed part of the agreement between the clubs over the transfer of Hamza Abdel Karim from Al Ahly to Barcelona.

The friendly at Barcelona’s home will give Ahly a prestigious international showcase as they build up towards the new season, while providing Barca with another global draw for their annual event.

Ahly’s statement also underlined the significance of the occasion, noting that the club will be the first from the Arab world to play in the Joan Gamper Trophy since the competition adopted its current format in 1997.

Previous meetings

The match will be the third friendly between the two clubs.

Their first meeting came in 2007 in Cairo as part of Al Ahly’s centenary celebrations, when Barcelona ran out 4-0 winners.

The sides met again in 2009 at Wembley Stadium in London, with the Spanish club winning 4-1.

Pre-season plans

Ahly will hold their pre-season training camp for the upcoming campaign in Spain, starting on 6 August, giving them almost two weeks of preparation in the country before facing Barcelona in the Joan Gamper Trophy.