New Moroccan signing Youssef Belamri has been left out of Al Ahly’s squad for the high-profile CAF Champions League meeting with Young Africans at Borg El Arab Stadium.
The group-stage match will be played on Friday as part of the third round of the competition.
Head coach Jess Thorup opted to exclude Belamri so the winger can follow a tailored fitness and rehabilitation program. The player has not featured in competitive games for some time after joining up with Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations, and his international transfer certificate has not yet arrived, preventing his registration.
Belamri is not the only absentee for Al Ahly. Newly signed defender Amr Al-Jazzar also misses out through injury, while Karim Fouad is sidelined for similar fitness reasons. Goalkeeper Hamza Alaa, along with Ahmed Abdelkader, Mohamed Sherif, and Hamza Abdelkarim, have been omitted for technical reasons as the coach trims his list for matchday.
Al Ahly’s goalkeeping options for the game are headed by Mohamed El Shenawy, supported by Mostafa Shobeir and Mohamed Siha. In defence, Thorup has selected Yassin Marai, Yasser Ibrahim, Ahmed Ramadan “Beckham”, Mohamed Hany, Ahmed Eid, Mohamed Shokry, and Ahmed Nabil “Koka”.
The midfield group includes Marwan Attia, Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet”, Emam Ashour, Aliou Dieng, Hussein El Shahat, Ahmed Mostafa “Zizo”, and Taher Mohamed Taher.
In attack, the coach relies on Nejr Gradisar, Achraf Bencharki, and Marwan Osman to lead the frontline and compensate for Belamri’s absence in this key continental fixture.
