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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Brazilian forward Neymar made his long-awaited return to his childhood club Santos in a lacklustre 1-1 draw with Botafogo in the Brazilian Paulista Championship on Wednesday.

The Urbano Caldeira stadium erupted in celebration as jubilant and tearful fans lit up their mobile phones to give the striker, who left the club 12 years ago, a hero’s welcome before kick-off.

Neymar, who was celebrating his 33rd birthday, started on the bench and came on after the break as Santos had taken the lead through Tiquinho Soares’ first-half penalty.

However, the forward struggled under the pressure of his first game in 16 months.

He tried to conjure up some of the magic that placed him among the world’s best for five years at Barcelona, but it wasn’t enough.

Botafogo equalised through Alexandre de Jesus in the 67th minute. Wallison was sent off four minutes later for a foul on Neymar but Santos were unable to take advantage of their superior numbers.

“I can’t find the words to express the feeling when you love something. I love Santos very much and I can’t find the words to describe the feeling I felt when I stepped out onto the pitch today,” Neymar said after the match.

“It was a very difficult game. I had even commented that my father was there on the side. I said, it’s a difficult game, they’re marking a lot at the back, they’re a team that defends a lot, a lot of hitting. And they found a ball and scored. I think it’s time for me to be patient and get some practice,” the player added.

Neymar, who joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal from Paris St Germain, was limited to seven appearances after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October.

His return to Santos is a deal that the forward has said will bring his illustrious career full circle, as he tries to do what he loves most: “play football again”.

-Reuters

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New Besiktas manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said Sunday he took the Turkish Super Lig club’s job offer because it reminded him of his last managerial stint at Manchester United.

The 51-year-old Norwegian has agreed to a deal until the end of next season, with an option to extend for another year. It is his first managerial role since being sacked by United in 2021.

Solskjaer took over as Manchester United’s caretaker manager in December 2018, with the team sixth in the standings, replacing Jose Mourinho (now Fenerbahce manager) for the remainder of the season.

The Norwegian earned a three-year deal after a run of 10 wins out of 13 league games. He guided United to third and second-place Premier League finishes and a Europa League final.

However, a poor run of form led to his departure in November 2021 with United in seventh place in the league standings. “I’ve been outside football for a little while, as a boss,” Solskjaer told reporters.

“But I’ve been working in UEFA and I’ve been following football as well as this club… This project seems a little bit like Manchester United for me. We were sixth, then we become third and then second. And this is step by step.

“And of course we’re here to win, so hopefully we can make it faster. But we have to be realistic. And yes, I had many offers, but as I said before, it had to be the right offer worth me moving away from my perfect life.”

Besiktas, who have won the Turkish Super Lig title 16 times, are currently sixth in the standings. They have been without a permanent head coach since Giovanni van Bronckhorst left in November.

“You need to feel that heartbeat racing again, because (you ask) ‘do you have the energy?’ and the project that the President and the board have been talking to me about it was the right thing I needed now,” he added.

“I’ve been following United (since I left) and it’s difficult when it goes down. You need to just turn the boat and hopefully we can turn the boat quickly here.”

Solskjaer praised the club’s young talent like Semih Kilicsoy (19-years-old) and Mustafa Hekimoglu (17). “A little bit unfair to compare with Erling Haaland,” he added.

“Because Haaland is one of the best strikers in the world, but we will help them to become as good as they can get.”

Solskjaer’s side visit Mourinho’s Fenerbahce in May in the Super Lig. Besiktas are 28th in the Europa League standings, a point off the play-off places, with two games left to play in the league phase.

-Reuters

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