Other Leagues
Ahly unveils Sports City Project to sustain Continental Powerhouse status
Easily Africa’s most successful club and having the largest fan base, Al Ahly of Egypt is taking another giant step. The Egyptian football powerhouse, renowned for its consistent success at both domestic and continental levels, is embarking on an ambitious project to build a sprawling sports city west of Cairo.
The club announced at the weekend during the exhibition of the FIFA Club World Cup trophy in Cairo.
According to the Egyptian publication, Ahram, the Ahly project is backed by a consortium of local and international partners, the landmark project aims to transform Egypt’s sports infrastructure and cement Al Ahly’s status as a continental powerhouse
Founded on 24 April 1907 by Omar Lotfy, Al-Ahly has a record of 44 Egyptian Premier League titles, 39 Egypt Cup titles, and 15 Egyptian Super Cups.
On the continent, Al Ahly won four African Cup Winners’ Cup, the most of any team during the competition between 1975 and 2004.
They also have won the CAF Champions League eleven times which is also the most of any team.
The hub of the new project is a 42,000-seat stadium that is designed without a running track to maximize fan proximity to the pitch and align with global standards.
The other facilities of the proposed sports city will include a sports hospital, a museum chronicling the club’s 120-year legacy, a sports university, a youth academy, and a hotel.
It will be executed in phases. Phase one will prioritize the stadium and hotel, while phase two introduces the university, hospital, and auxiliary training pitches.
According to Ahram, Egyptian financial heavyweight Beltone Leasing & Factoring has committed $80 million which is about 4 billion Egyptian pounds to the project.
The developer Al Qalaa Al Hamraa for Facilities Management has also secured additional funding to meet the total estimated cost of 8 to 9 Egyptian pounds.
Beltone’s role as exclusive financial advisor highlights the initiative’s strategic importance to Egypt’s economic and sporting ambitions.
The collaboration includes 15 global and regional firms, such as Hilton International, UAE-based Palm Sport, and leading engineering consultancies, ensuring world-class execution.
Design Reveal & Timeline
The stadium’s final design was unveiled at a high-profile ceremony in Luxor’s Hatshepsut Temple, attended by club dignitaries and partners.
The event also served as a prelude to Ahly’s upcoming participation in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Construction is set to begin immediately, with completion targeted within 200 weeks (approximately four years).
Ahly President Mahmoud El-Khatib hailed the project as a “historic milestone,” emphasizing its role in diversifying the club’s revenue streams and elevating Egypt’s global sports profile.
Mohamed Kamel, CEO of Al Qalaa Al Hamraa, added: “This isn’t just a stadium – it’s a holistic hub for health, education, and athletic excellence.”
During his address, Kamel unveiled the stadium’s closely guarded design via a video showcasing its standout features, including stands emblazoned with the club’s iconic name and logo, a suspended circular screen beneath the roof, premium changing rooms, and adjacent restaurants and cafés.
The sports city is poised to boost tourism, generate employment, and inspire future athletes. By integrating cutting-edge medical, educational, and training facilities, the project aims to nurture homegrown talent and position Egypt as a regional sports leader.
With groundwork now underway, Ahly’s legion of supporters eagerly anticipates a new era for the club and Egyptian sport.
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Paul Onuachu is back where the goals flowed after the Nigerian striker completed a 5.6 million euros ($6.60 million) move to Trabzonspor from Southampton on Friday, turning a successful loan spell into a permanent stay on Turkey’s Black Sea coast.
Nicknamed “Tall Paul” by Saints fans, the 2.01-metre forward never found his stride in the Premier League, scoring just four goals as Southampton dropped out of the top flight.
But in Turkey, he looked like his old self — hitting 15 goals in 21 league games while on loan last season and quickly winning over the fans and board alike.
Once prolific at Genk, with 73 goals in 103 league games, 31-year-old Onuachu’s return to Trabzonspor feels more like a reset than a gamble.
The new Super Lig season kicks off on August 8, with champions Galatasaray defending their crown. Trabzonspor, who finished seventh last term, will hope their returning striker picks up right where he left off.
-Reuters
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A celebration turned tragic on Saturday, June 22, 2025, when three spectators lost their lives and more than 70 others sustained injuries following a fence collapse at the July 5 Stadium in Algiers. The incident occurred after MC Alger clinched the Algerian top-flight football title for the second consecutive season.
According to a statement released on Facebook by the Algerian Ministry of Health, the collapse took place in the stadium’s south bend upper stand. Emergency services responded swiftly, with 38 injured fans taken to Beni Messous University Hospital, 27 to Ben Aknoun Hospital, and 16 to Bab El Oued Hospital.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune expressed condolences to the victims’ families and extended wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.
MC Alger also mourned the loss of one of their fans. “It is with great sadness and sorrow that we received the news of our supporter Younes Amguzzi, who passed away after falling from the upper stands,” the club said in a statement posted on Instagram.
The club has not yet issued a formal comment on the additional reported fatalities.
Local media attributed the tragedy to a structural failure, reporting that part of the upper-tier fencing gave way, causing fans to fall into the lower stands. A video posted by El Heddaf TV showed the damaged railing and the chaotic aftermath.
The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, while MC Alger players, staff, and club officials visited to donate blood in support of the victims. The trophy presentation ceremony was postponed out of respect for the incident.
Authorities are expected to launch an investigation into the cause of the collapse and the safety standards at the stadium.
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Libyan football is once again under fire after a highly anticipated derby match between Al-Ahli Tripoli and Al-Ittihad spiralled into chaos on Wednesday evening, forcing an early end to the game and leaving a trail of violence and destruction in its wake.
What was meant to be a showcase of local rivalry quickly turned into a disaster.
The match, part of Libya’s national championship, took a dark turn in the 38th minute when Moroccan midfielder Nawfel Zerhouni curled in a beautiful free-kick to give Al-Ittihad the lead. But the celebrations were short-lived. Tensions flared, players clashed, and a full-blown melee broke out on the pitch.
Things only got worse from there.
Despite being officially designated a behind-closed-doors fixture, fans from both clubs found their way into the stadium and took over the stands. Fights erupted, and the terraces turned into battlegrounds. The referee had no choice but to abandon the match.
The violence didn’t stop at the stadium gates.
Reports suggest that live ammunition was fired at Al-Ahli supporters, and the Al-Ittihad team bus was set ablaze in the aftermath. Shocking scenes like these are a grim reminder of how unchecked football passion can spiral into outright mayhem.
Both clubs reacted swiftly with official statements condemning the violence. Al-Ahli Tripoli and Al-Ittihad called for calm and restraint, stressing the importance of upholding the values of sport. They also urged authorities to launch a full investigation to uncover those behind the violence and ensure accountability.
This disturbing episode comes on the heels of previous controversies involving Libya’s football scene, including the troubled AFCON qualifier against Nigeria and riots during the Libya–Benin Republic match. It raises fresh concerns over the safety and stability of football in the country.
Libyan football is at a crossroads. Whether this serves as a wake-up call or just another chapter in a worrying trend remains to be seen.
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