Zamalek extend captain Omar Hesham’s contract for two seasons

Zamalek have announced that captain Omar Hesham has signed a new contract to remain with the basketball team for a further two seasons.

Hesham completed the agreement with the Egyptian club in the presence of Zamalek vice-president Hisham Nasr. The extension secures the future of one of the team’s key players as preparations begin for the forthcoming campaign.

The captain has already played an important part in a number of successful Zamalek campaigns. During his time with the club, Hesham has won the league title, the African Club Championship and the Egypt Cup.

He has also represented Zamalek at the Club World Cup, adding international experience to a list of honours collected with the team.

The contract extension comes as Zamalek prepare for a change in the coaching staff. Mohamed Selim, known as “Soly”, will take charge of the team next season, replacing Wael Badr.

Soly is regarded as one of the most promising young coaches in Egyptian basketball. His reputation has been built through a succession of strong results at both club and national-team level over recent years.

He began his coaching career as an assistant with Telecom Egypt. During that period, he helped the club finish fourth in the league and reach third place in the Egypt Cup on two occasions.

Soly later moved into a leading coaching role at Telecom Egypt and guided the team to two Cairo Region Championship titles. Under his management, the club also finished third in the league and reached the Egypt Cup final last season.

Telecom Egypt finished runners-up after facing Zamalek in the final. That result represented the first time in the club’s history that it had reached the Egypt Cup final and marked one of the most significant achievements of Soly’s coaching career.

His appointment places the incoming coach at the centre of Zamalek’s plans for the new season, while Hesham’s renewal gives the team continuity within its playing group. The club has therefore confirmed both the retention of its captain and the identity of the coach who will lead the side into the next campaign.

For Hesham, the new agreement extends a relationship with Zamalek that has already brought domestic and continental success, as well as participation on the world stage. For Soly, the move represents an opportunity to build on the progress made during his time with Telecom Egypt and begin the next stage of his career with one of Egyptian basketball’s leading clubs.