Al Ahly v Smouha: Three-man attack named for Cairo clash

Smouha manager Ahmed Abdel Aziz has named three forwards in his squad for Thursday’s Egyptian League meeting with Al Ahly, as both sides prepare to conclude the third round of matches.

Smouha will travel to face Al Ahly at Cairo International Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00 local time. The fixture brings together teams at opposite ends of the early league table, with Al Ahly currently third and Smouha 16th.

The visiting squad includes forwards Marwan Hamdy, Fady Farid and Emmanuel Nwike, giving Abdel Aziz three options in attack for the match.

Smouha’s squad for the game is:

Goalkeepers: Hussein Timour, Ahmed Mahoub, Mohamed Haidar

Defenders: Hisham Hafez, Mohamed Desouky, Ahmed Abdel Rasoul, Abdelrahman Amer, Mohamed Ragab, Ali Gamal

Midfielders: Amr El Sisi, Samir Fikry, Khaled El Ghandour, Mohamed Farouk, Mohamed Saeed, Atedjiko Samadou, Ahmed El Nady, Mohamed Adel, Abdel Ghany Mohamed, Mohamed Kone

Forwards: Marwan Hamdy, Fady Farid, Emmanuel Nwike

Smouha have yet to record a victory at the start of the campaign. They opened the season with a 1-0 defeat by Al Masry before being held to a goalless draw by Petroleum Asyut.

The result against Petroleum Asyut gave Smouha their first point of the season, but they remain 16th in the standings ahead of their visit to the capital.

Al Ahly, by contrast, have made a winning start to the competition. They have beaten El Sharqia, ENPPI and ZED in the opening two rounds, leaving them third in the table before the meeting with Smouha.

The game is the final fixture of the third round of the Egyptian League and will take place on Thursday evening at Cairo International Stadium. Smouha will be seeking a result to improve their position, while Al Ahly will aim to maintain their place among the leading sides.

The selection of three forwards underlines the attacking options available to Abdel Aziz for the contest. Marwan Hamdy, Fady Farid and Emmanuel Nwike are the only players listed in the forward positions, while the squad also contains 10 midfielders and six defenders.

Al Ahly’s strong opening results contrast with Smouha’s difficult start, setting up a meeting in which the two teams will enter with different objectives. Al Ahly are looking to build on their early victories, while Smouha must try to turn their first point of the season into a result against the reigning league contenders.