Ahmed Shobier on Wessam Abou Ali's Future with Al-Ahly
Ahmed Shobier has poured cold water on Al-Ahly’s growing dream of a romantic reunion with Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali, insisting Columbus Crew see him as “the future of the club” and will not sanction a winter exit.
Speaking on radio, the former Al-Ahly goalkeeper laid out the situation bluntly.
“There was talk published yesterday that Al-Ahly had begun to open discussions or test the waters over the return of Wessam Abou Ali, and whether Columbus Crew would agree to his departure or not,” Shobier said.
He admitted he would love to see the forward back in Cairo. Abou Ali’s brief spell in red left a strong impression, his movement and penalty-box instincts giving Al-Ahly a different edge in attack.
“I said, if only, because he was a player who made a huge difference with Al-Ahly,” Shobier continued. “But the Columbus Crew coach said he is the future of the club, there is no chance of him leaving, and he said his injury had affected the team and that he will return soon.”
That message from MLS could hardly be clearer. Columbus want him fit, firing, and leading their line, not flying back to Africa.
Shobier, though, understands why Al-Ahly supporters keep clinging to the idea.
“If there is even half a chance of him returning to Al-Ahly, I say to the Al-Ahly club, do not hesitate,” he urged. “The idea of his return is almost non-existent, but it is important for one to dream and think.”
For now, it is a dream. Nothing more.
Ammouta turns up the heat inside Al-Ahly
With Abou Ali out of reach, attention inside the Al-Ahly camp has shifted to something more immediate: attitude, intensity, and a fan base that has run out of patience.
Shobier revealed that Moroccan coach Hossein Ammouta responded to recent criticism with a marathon meeting behind closed doors.
“The Moroccan Hossein Ammouta held a very, very long lecture yesterday with the players, and they opened their hearts to one another and spoke together,” he said. “You feel that the players are motivated and want the next match, and there is a state of anger because they see that the fans are very, very angry with the performances in the recent period, and the players want to prove themselves and deliver a better level.”
That “state of anger” might be exactly what Al-Ahly need.
They face Abu Qir for Fertilizers on Tuesday in the Premier League, a fixture that would normally pass without fuss. Not this time. Al-Ahly sit third on 10 points, level with Zamalek on goal difference and two points behind leaders Pyramids. The table is tight, the margins unforgiving, and every dropped point feels heavier when the stands are restless.
Ammouta’s long talk was not just about tactics. It was about pride, pressure, and the expectation that comes with the shirt. The response on the pitch will tell whether those words landed.
Zamalek, Bezerra and a deal they could not refuse
While Al-Ahly wrestle with form and fantasy signings, their great rivals Zamalek have been dragged into a very different reality: hard numbers, overdue wages, and a transfer they could no longer fight.
Shobier switched focus to what he called the “closing credits” of the Juan Bezerra story.
“Finally the closing credits have rolled on the Bezerra nights saga,” he said. “Zamalek had no option but to agree to Bezerra’s departure, for several reasons, among them that there is no hope left with him. The Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai offer suited him, it settled in his mind and he will not go back on it, money and then the life in Dubai, and Zamalek tried left and right but there was nothing.”
The club’s financial crisis turned a difficult sporting decision into an unavoidable economic one.
“The club is suffering from a very, very severe financial crisis and so Zamalek is in dire need of money, and the players have dues owed to them and want their money,” Shobier explained.
The package from Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai is substantial by any measure. Shobier detailed it point by point:
- 3 million dollars cash upon signing
- 1 million dollars in February
- 1 million dollars in August
- 1 million dollars in incentives and bonuses
“Zamalek here is telling you I have 6 million dollars,” he said.
The deal became even more attractive because of what Bezerra agreed to forgo.
“There was a 10% commission for his agent close to 600 thousand dollars which was waived, and also 5% sponsorship rights, and the league title bonus which was around 20 thousand dollars, so the player gave all this up. Zamalek is telling you like this, I am reaching approximately 7 million dollars.”
Just as it seemed Zamalek would miss out on any future upside, they made one last push at the negotiating table.
“What I knew yesterday was that there was no resale clause for Zamalek club,” Shobier admitted, “but I learned that Zamalek in the final metres insisted on writing a clause entitling the club to a 20% share of the value of the player's sale in the future.”
It is a small piece of long-term protection in a deal driven by short-term survival.
So Al-Ahly chase performances and dream of a striker they cannot have. Zamalek cash in on a player they cannot keep and cling to a sell-on clause for tomorrow. Between them, two giants of Egyptian football are walking the same tightrope: results now, money now, and a season that will not wait.
