Al Ahly close door on Yasser Ibrahim exit, says president Hussein Ammouta

Al Ahly president Hussein Ammouta says the club have closed the door on any potential departure for defender Yasser Ibrahim.

The Egyptian Premier League champions began their league campaign with a 3-2 victory over ENPPI, although they surrendered a two-goal lead before eventually securing all three points.

Speaking at his post-match news conference, Ammouta said: “The match was difficult and we conceded two goals after controlling the game, and there were several factors that affected the team.”

Asked whether Al Ahly would sign another defender, Ammouta replied: “As you know, Ashraf Dari has been registered, so it is possible that we will see him with the team.”

He also addressed Ibrahim’s absence and the speculation surrounding his future.

“Yasser Ibrahim was not present, especially as he had an excellent World Cup, and the issue of his departure is closed after the club’s statement five days ago confirming that the door to negotiations for any player had been closed,” said Ammouta.

Al Ahly had announced five days earlier that they would not negotiate the departure of any player, and Ammouta reiterated that position after the win over ENPPI.

The manager also explained why midfielder Emam Ashour did not feature, despite asking to play.

“Emam Ashour has not recovered from his injury. He is a great player, but he did not take part fully in training and was not physically ready, so we could not involve him because of the fear of aggravating his injury,” Ammouta said.

“He is certainly a great player and he did ask to play, but I told him that I could not put him on the pitch unless he was fully fit.”

Ammouta said the difficult opening fixture had been expected, particularly after several players returned from international duty and a lengthy training camp.

“Al Ahly is a big club with a large fan base, and everyone here is looking to win titles. Today was a difficult start and I knew it would be,” he said.

“The players returned from the national team after a long camp, and we are trying to use each player in more than one position. We may see Zizo play as a central midfielder or an attacking midfielder.”

Ammouta also praised Ali Mahmoud, saying: “Ali Mahmoud has good ability and his future will be bright.”

The Al Ahly president said the team’s substitutes had played an important role in turning the match around, while insisting that the players who started deserved recognition.

“I do not want to belittle the efforts of the players who started the match. They put in a great effort, and substitutions are always useful. The team as a whole was the one that came back to win, and we must not forget that the team had only recently returned from travelling after the friendly against Barcelona,” he said.

Al Ahly’s next Egyptian Premier League fixture is against ZED FC.