Ahly ban star striker Abou Ali from training camp
In other African football news, Brazil-born Mamelodi Sundowns striker Lucas Ribeiro has been nominated for several end-of-season South African awards.
A rift has developed between Abou Ali, one of only two scorers of a hat-trick at the 2025 Club World Cup, and record 12-time African champions Al Ahly.
It has led to recently appointed Spanish coach Jose Riveiro excluding the Denmark-born Palestine international from a pre-season camp in Tunisia.
While Abou Ali wants to leave the Red Devils, no interested club has matched the reported selling price of $12 million (€10.3 mn) set by the record 12-time African champions.
Ribeiro is among three nominees for the footballer of the season and players' player of the season awards in South Africa, with the winners to be named on July 29.
His rivals in both categories are two other forwards, Relebohile Mofokeng of Orlando Pirates and Keletso Makgalwa from Sekhukhune United.
Ribeiro, 26, joined champions Sundowns from Belgian club Beveren in 2023 and scored an outstanding goal against Borussia Dortmund at the recent Club World Cup in the United States.
Five-time African champions TP Mazembe have successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over the premature conclusion of the Democratic Republic of Congo national league season.
League officials in the central African country declared the campaign over after 16 of the scheduled 22 matchdays, with Eagles topping the table, five points ahead of fifth-placed Mazembe.
The CAS decision means the remaining six rounds must be played renewing the chances of Mazembe securing a top-two finish and qualification for the lucrative CAF Champions League.
Al Merrikh edged Al Amal Atbara 1-0 and Al Hilal hammered Al Merrikh Obeid 5-0 to remain first and second respectively with one round left in the Sudan Elite League play-offs.
The mini-league, in which each club plays seven others, is being staged in the northeast of a country where the national army have been battling a paramilitary force in a civil war since 2023.
Merrikh hold a one-point lead over record 30-time Sudanese champions Hilal, who are above Al Ahly Madani and Al Zamala Ruwaba on goal difference.
Veteran former Wydad Casablanca midfielder Yahya Jabrane has rejoined the club after one season with Kuwait Sports Club.
The 34-year-old was a key figure when the Casablanca outfit won a third CAF Champions League title by defeating Al Ahly in the 2021/22 final.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Ammon
10 hours ago
- Ammon
Al Hilal face ban from 2026-27 Saudi Super Cup
Ammon News - Holders Al Hilal will be banned from the 2026-27 Saudi Super Cup if they qualify after withdrawing from this season's four-team competition, the Saudi Arabia Football Federation's (SAFF) Disciplinary and Ethics Committee said on Tuesday. The decision came after Al Hilal pulled out of the Super Cup, scheduled to be played from August 19-23 in Hong Kong, citing player fatigue following their Club World Cup campaign. They lost 2-1 to Fluminense in the quarter-finals on July 4. "Al Hilal refused to participate in the Saudi Super Cup for the 2025-2026 season after the official schedule for the competition was issued," the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee said in a statement. "As a result, the committee ruled that Al Hilal had violated Article (59-3) of the Disciplinary and Ethics Regulations and fined the club 500,000 Saudi Riyals ($133,000) to be paid to the SAFF," the statement added. In addition to the fine, the club was banned from participating in the 2026-27 Super Cup and stripped of any financial awards allocated for this season's competition. The committee said the decision is subject to appeal. Al Hilal have been asked for comment. They won the Super Cup by beating Al Nassr last season for a record-extending fifth title. The Saudi Super Cup is contested by the winners and runners-up of the King's Cup and Saudi Pro League. Al Hilal finished second in the 2024-25 Pro League behind Al-Ittihad. Al Hilal, who were due to face King's Cup runners-up Al Qadsiah in the Super Cup semi-finals on August 20, have been replaced by AFC Champions League winners Al Ahli. Since Al-Ittihad won the Pro League and King's Cup, the extra Super Cup spot was awarded to Al Nassr - the third-placed team in the league - who they face in the semis on August 19. Reuters
Ammon
10 hours ago
- Ammon
Brazilian Estevao Willian is officially a Chelsea player
Ammon News - Chelsea have officially unveiled Estevao Willian a year on from initially announcing his transfer from Palmeiras. Chelsea fans have had to wait a year to see Estevao in their shirt but the moment has finally arrived as the Blues begin their pre-season preparations. The young forward joins from Palmeiras having faced his new side at the Club World Cup this summer. But now his extended loan spell with the Brazilian giants is over, he can finally get a taste of life with the World Champions. Speaking to the club website, Estevao said: "I am very happy, it feels very rewarding to represent Chelsea, one of the biggest clubs in the world,' Estevao said during his first day at Chelsea. 'I am very happy and I hope to help the team in the best way possible. "I had almost a year and a half to wait until I arrived here. But it has been a year and a half that I have worked hard and have done my best to get here in the best shape possible. "I am very, very excited. It is a new experience in my life, a new stage. I am looking forward to it and hope that it will go as well as possible."
Ammon
28-07-2025
- Ammon
Man Utd's Mather looks for loan move abroad
Ammon News - Manchester United youngster Sam Mather is likely to look abroad for a loan move this season. Mather, 20, signed a new contract with United last summer after being part of their pre-season tour to the United States. However, he was overlooked for this summer's trip by head coach Ruben Amorim and, given the position he is most suited to is as a number 10, Mather knows his path to the first team is blocked. That means the Salford-born player will almost certainly go out on another loan this season. However, he wants to avoid a repeat of last season, when he went to Tranmere in January but only made two brief substitute appearances the following month.
