Al Ahly to build new stadium

Al Ahly players in a huddle

Tuesday Apr 27, 2021. 11:00

Egyptian giants Al Ahly have announced their intention to build a brand new stadium on the outskirts of Cairo.

The Red Devils have long held the ambition of owning a large-capacity venue. Ahly do currently have the 15,000-seater Mokhtar El-Tetsh Stadium, but security concerns and its small capacity have seen it used for training and friendly matches.

Ahly have generally used the state-owned Cairo International Stadium for home matches, though the Borg El-Arab Stadium on the outskirts of Alexandria – which is a home venue for arch rivals Zamalek – has also been used by the Red Devils on occasion.

In addition, late 2019 saw the club announce a 25-year lease for Al-Salam Stadium, which they re-named Ahly Stadium. However, the team has continued to hold their high-profile matches at the larger Cairo International Stadium – even with the Covid-19 pandemic forcing games to be played without fans.

The new stadium is set to be built on the outskirts of North-West Cairo, though the club have declined from providing details of its capacity, cost and build timeline.

“The efforts of chairman Mahmoud El-Khatib… led to the club being granted all approvals to build the new stadium on its land in El-Sheikh Zayed district,” the Red Devils said in a statement, as quoted by Ahram Online.

The cornerstone of the new stadium is set to be laid this coming Saturday, 1 May.