Hossam Hassan starts as Al Ittihad Alexandria turn to new signings against Zamalek

Al Ittihad Alexandria will begin their campaign against defending champions Zamalek with a team heavily reshaped by summer recruitment, as manager Hamza El-Gamal names only four players who started for the club last season.

Zamalek host Al Ittihad Alexandria in the opening round at Cairo International Stadium, with kick-off scheduled for 20:00.

Sobhi Soliman, Mostafa Ibrahim, Yousry Waheed and Ishaq Savior are the only members of El-Gamal’s starting XI who were part of last season’s team. John Ebuka, another player from the squad, will begin the match on the bench.

The starting line-up selected by El-Gamal is:

Goalkeeper: Sobhi Soliman

Defenders: Momen Awad, Mostafa Ibrahim, Mohamed Mostafa, Khaled Massad

Midfielders: Mohamed Fakhry, Kenneth Simakula, Ishaq Savior

Forwards: Yousry Waheed, Hossam Hassan, Pascal Ferry

Al Ittihad Alexandria’s substitutes are Ali El Gabry, Islam Abdel Lah, Momen Sherif, Ahmed El Sayed, Nour Alaa, Mahmoud Emad, Ahmed Atef, Joseph Armola and John Ebuka.

The Alexandria club completed 24 signings during the summer as part of its preparations for the new season. The scale of that recruitment is reflected in the line-up against Zamalek, with the majority of the starting team made up of recently acquired players.

Ahmed Hamdy is unavailable because of injury, according to FilGoal.com.

El-Gamal is in charge of Al Ittihad Alexandria this season and will lead the side in its first competitive fixture against the reigning champions. Zamalek’s status as holders means the visitors face a demanding opening assignment, but the team’s selection highlights the club’s reliance on its new arrivals.

Only four starters remain from last season’s side, while several new faces have been handed responsibility from the outset. Hossam Hassan leads the attack, supported by Waheed and Ferry, with Ebuka among the attacking options available from the substitutes’ bench.

The match will be played at Cairo International Stadium at 20:00, with Al Ittihad Alexandria seeking a positive start under El-Gamal and Zamalek beginning their title defence at home.