Emam Ashour has been heavily sanctioned by Al Ahly ahead of the club’s CAF Champions League clash against Young Africans this weekend.
But what really happened for one of the club’s biggest stars to be heavily sanctioned, especially when the team is heading into a crucial game?
Al Ahly head into the Group B encounter sitting top with seven points, three clear of Young Africans in second place. Under Danish head coach Jess Torop, the match was viewed as a key step toward qualification. Instead, preparations were overshadowed by a disciplinary issue that sent shockwaves through the Red Castle and shifted attention away from tactical matters.
The club moved swiftly, announcing a fine of one and a half million Egyptian pounds against Ashour, alongside his exclusion from group training and an order to train individually. Al Ahly confirmed that the punishment was imposed after detailed legal consultations and a review of internal regulations and player contracts, underlining the club’s insistence on discipline without exception.
تغريم إمام عاشور 1.5 مليون جنيه وإيقافه أسبوعين وتدريبات منفردة 🔴 pic.twitter.com/jvybL7eqle
— النادي الأهلي (@AlAhly) January 29, 2026
As the situation escalated, speculation emerged pointing toward the player’s agent, Adam Watani, amid claims that he encouraged Ashour to engineer a crisis in order to pressure the club ahead of a potential exit. Watani firmly rejected those claims, denying any involvement and insisting that no offers had been received or discussed regarding the player.
Further insight into the origins of the crisis was later provided by media personality and former Al Ahly goalkeeper Ahmed Shobeir during a live broadcast on his official Facebook account. Shobeir traced the first signs of trouble back to Al Ahly’s league match against Wadi Degla, where tensions surfaced over penalty-taking duties.
According to Shobeir, the technical staff had identified three players to take penalties, with the final decision resting with head coach Jesse Torup. Ashour reportedly insisted on taking the kick, but the assistant coach intervened and instructed Ahmed Sayed “Zizo” to step up in a move aimed at boosting his confidence amid mounting pressure.
Shobeir explained that the disagreement did not end there. A heated verbal exchange allegedly broke out in the dressing room after the match between Ashour and team captain Mohamed Hany, before football director Walid Salah El-Din intervened, visibly angered by the incident.
Despite the intensity of the confrontation, the situation appeared to cool down later, with players sharing moments of laughter that suggested the matter had been resolved.
Following the match, the squad was granted a short rest due to fatigue, with plans to regroup directly at the airport for the Tanzania trip. The next day, Ashour contacted team doctor Ahmed Gaballah, claiming he was unwell and unable to travel.
The doctor reportedly informed him that his condition did not warrant absence and asked him to come to the airport for an assessment, but Ashour maintained his stance.
On the morning of the trip, the midfielder failed to appear and could not be reached by phone or online, with even attempts to contact him through his wife proving unsuccessful.
Mohamed El-Damaty, head of the Al Ahly delegation, relayed the full sequence of events to the club’s management and president Mahmoud El-Khatib, prompting immediate coordination with the legal affairs department and international lawyer Abdullah Shehata to draft the sanctions in line with FIFA regulations.
Shobeir later confirmed that Al Ahly have no plans to reduce the penalties, stressing that Ashour’s future at the club now hinges on his compliance with the decision to train alone.
He warned that continued refusal to adhere to the club’s directives could trigger an unprecedented escalation, potentially leading to full suspension and exclusion from major competitions, including the 2026 World Cup.
