Al Ahly name Mohamed El Shenawy and Sofiane Benjida in starting XI for Badalona friendly

Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy will start against Spanish side Badalona in the Egyptian club’s first friendly of their pre-season training camp in Spain.

The match is part of Al Ahly’s preparations for the new football season, with manager Hussein Ammouta using the fixture to continue the players’ technical and physical development.

Moroccan forward Sofiane Benjida has been selected to lead the attack, while Ahmed Reda and Omar El Saai start in midfield. Hussein El Shahat and Mohamed Raafat complete the attacking line alongside Benjida.

Al Ahly’s starting line-up for the friendly is:

Goalkeeper: Mohamed El Shenawy

Defenders: Karim Fouad, Yassin Marei, Yasser Ibrahim, Ahmed Eid

Midfielders: Ahmed Reda, Omar El Saai, Mohamed Magdy Afsha

Forwards: Hussein El Shahat, Sofiane Benjida, Mohamed Raafat

The meeting with Badalona is Al Ahly’s first warm-up match during their camp in Spain. The team are playing the Spanish side on Wednesday as part of a programme designed to prepare the squad for the demands of the forthcoming campaign.

The club’s training camp will continue until 20 August. It includes intensive daily training sessions as well as a series of friendly matches.

Al Ahly will also face Barcelona in the Joan Gamper Trophy on 19 August. That fixture will provide another significant test during the club’s preparations before the new season begins.

El Shenawy’s inclusion gives him an immediate role in goal for the opening match of the Spanish camp, while Ammouta has opted to assess a combination of established players and younger members of the squad in the outfield.

The starting defence features Karim Fouad, Yassin Marei, Yasser Ibrahim and Ahmed Eid. Ahead of them, Ahmed Reda, Omar El Saai and Mohamed Magdy Afsha form the midfield, with El Shahat, Benjida and Raafat chosen as the front three.

The Badalona fixture takes place on Wednesday, 12 August 2026, during a camp that will remain in Spain through 20 August. Al Ahly’s schedule will then include the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Barcelona on 19 August, before the squad completes its pre-season preparations.