From glory to downfall: the five mistakes that sank Al Ahly

From glory to downfall: the five mistakes that sank Al Ahly Poll The five mistakes that sank Al Ahly Al Ahly/@lemiroirmagazine The Egyptian football powerhouse Al Ahly is enduring a nightmare 2025-2026 season. Lagging behind in the domestic league to rivals Zamalek and Pyramids FC, the Cairo-based club was also knocked out of the CAF Champions League by Espérance de Tunis (4-2 on aggregate over the two-legged tie). A disappointing showing for a club that didn’t hesitate to break the bank, shelling out millions of dollars to secure new signings during the last two transfer windows.

Foot Africa has identified five major mistakes that have brought Al Ahly to its knees this season. A disrupted pre-season The "Club of the Century" botched its pre-season preparations due to participation in the Club World Cup, held in the United States. Al Ahly settled for a brief training camp in Tunisia before diving into the Egyptian Premier League.

This lackluster preparation partly explains the physical dip seen in the squad, especially during both legs against Espérance de Tunis. A failed transfer window Despite significant financial muscle, Al Ahly’s recruitment team missed the mark in both the summer and winter transfer periods. With the exception of Mahmoud Trezeguet—who delivered 15 goals and just one assist—the other signings simply failed to justify the astronomical sums spent to bring them in.

Tunisian holding midfielder Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, signed for €1. 58 million, managed only 2 goals and 4 assists in 28 appearances. Meanwhile, Amr El Gazar, brought in for €1.