Mustafa Ahmed Shobier, goalkeeper for Egypt’s Al-Ahly football club, will be playing in a final match for the third time in his career, marking his first appearance in the Egyptian Cup, taking advantage of the absence of Mohamed El-Shennawy, the first-choice goalkeeper, due to injury.
El-Shennawy, 35, joined the team’s squad on Thursday to support his teammates, but he is not included in the lineup for the title clash against Zamalek, hosted at the Al-Oulh Park stadium in Riyadh.
As a result, Swiss coach Marcel Koller continues to rely on Mustafa Shobier, the son of the former international goalkeeper, as the starting goalkeeper.
Since his promotion to Al-Ahly’s first team in 2019, Mustafa, nicknamed “Oufa”, has played in two final matches.
He made his debut in the first leg of the African Champions League final against Morocco’s Wydad Casablanca in early June last year, which ended in a 2-1 victory for Al-Ahly.
El-Shennawy, who had returned from injury, regained his place before the return leg, where the two teams drew 1-1, securing the title for Al-Ahly.
Following a decision by Koller to rest El-Shennawy after the recent Club World Cup, Shobier, 23, started in the Egyptian Super Cup final against Modern Al-Mokawloon, hosted in the Emirates in late December last year.
The match ended with Al-Ahly clinching the title after a 4-2 victory.
The Al-Ahly squad called up for the Al-Oulh Park final includes two other goalkeepers, Hamza Alaa and Mahmoud El-Zanfali.
