Mahmoud El-Khatib, the influential president of Al-Ahly, might soon be Mauritania-bound with the club’s delegation.
The board, under his leadership, has tapped Tarek Kandil, a fellow board member, to spearhead the first team’s trip next Saturday. The squad is set to clash with Sudan’s Al-Hilal in the African Champions League quarter-finals’ second leg.
Kandil is pulling out all the stops, teaming up with sporting director Mohamed Ramadan and deputy Mohamed Shawky to ensure seamless travel, lodging, and training setups. Their goal? To give the players and technical staff every chance to shine.
A club insider told Kooora that Mahmoud El-Khatib is thinking about joining the trip, underscoring its high stakes and his desire to boost the team’s focus. “He’s even applied for a visa to prepare for the possibility,” the insider noted.
Originally, El-Khatib had a medical trip to France on the horizon, but a pressing summit crisis brought him back to Cairo. Meanwhile, coach Marcel Koller is shifting training to Nasr City’s artificial turf, mirroring the match venue, ahead of Tuesday’s showdown.
