Amrouta's surprise Al-Ahly lineup vs El Sharkia Enppi at kick-off
Hossein Ammouta shocked supporters before the ahly eastern enppi opener on Sunday, 23 August 2026, by starting Mostafa Shobier in goal and leaving Mohamed El Shenawy and Sofiane Bengdiddah on the bench. Algeria's Bekrar led the attack with Zizo in midfield as Al-Ahly opened their Nile League campaign at Cairo International Stadium at 8pm.
The Moroccan coach, widely known as Amrouta, dropped two of the club's biggest names at kick-off for a fixture that marks the Red Devils' first step toward reclaiming the title they lost last season. Victory over El Sharkia Enppi would deliver an immediate three-point lift for a squad still reshaped by absences.
Key Takeaways
- Amrouta benched veteran goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy and Moroccan striker Sofiane Bengdiddah for the season opener.
- Mostafa Shobier started in goal; Bekrar, Zizo, and Karim Fouad all earned starting roles.
- Wael Gomaa said 13 players were unavailable, including Imam Ashour (fitness) and Yassin Marai (suspension).
- Former Al-Ahly star Kahraba started for El Sharkia Enppi under coach Mohamed Barakat.
- The match aired live on ON Sport 1 from Cairo International Stadium at 8pm Cairo time.
Why did Amrouta's lineup surprise Al-Ahly fans?
LiveScore reported that the biggest shock was Sofiane Bengdiddah dropping to the substitutes' bench alongside Mohamed El Shenawy, the club's long-serving goalkeeper. Ammouta instead handed Mostafa Shobier the No. 1 jersey for a high-profile home opener.
Less expected starters included Algeria's Bekrar up front, Karim Fouad at left-back, and Ahmed Mostafa "Zizo" in central midfield. For a club chasing redemption after last season's title loss, benching two household names sent an immediate signal about Amrouta's rotation plans.
Who started for Al-Ahly against El Sharkia Enppi?
According to LiveScore, Al-Ahly's starting XI was: Mostafa Shobier (GK); Karim Fouad, Amr El Gazzar, Hadi Riad, Mohamed Hany (defence); Ahmed Nabil Koka, Marwan Attia, Ahmed Mostafa "Zizo" (midfield); Achraf Bencharki, Bekrar, Taher Mohamed Taher (attack).
The bench featured Mohamed El Shenawy, Yasser Ibrahim, Sofiane Bengdiddah, Akram Tawfik, Hussein El Shahat, Mohamed Magdy "Afsha", Ali Mahmoud, Aktay Abdallah, and Karim El Debies. Across the pitch, El Sharkia Enppi lined up with Abdel Rahman Samir in goal and Mahmoud Abdel Moneim "Kahraba" — a former Al-Ahly favourite — leading their attack.
Why were 13 Al-Ahly players missing from the squad?
Before kick-off, Wael Gomaa, Al-Ahly's director of football, outlined why so many names were absent. YSscores reported that Imam Ashour was ruled out through lack of fitness, while Yassin Marai missed the match through suspension.
Gomaa listed 11 further absentees for technical reasons: Ahmed Eid, Ashraf Dari, Tawfiq Mohamed, Ahmed Khaled Kabaka, Ahmed Reda, Omar Al-Sa'i, Reda Selim, Omar Sayed Maawad, Mohamed Abdullah, Mahmoud Salah, and Mohamed Raafat. The thin squad context helps explain why Amrouta leaned on Shobier, Bekrar, and Zizo from the first whistle.
What does the Enppi match mean for Al-Ahly's season?
EnterpriseAM framed the fixture as the Red Devils' opening Nile League title defence — a campaign built around putting last season's disappointment behind them. Three points against Enppi would set the tone for a squad juggling fresh tactical choices and a lengthy injury list.
For supporters tracking every twist in Egypt's biggest club stories, our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries hub rounds up more narratives that capture public attention across the region. On the pitch, though, Amrouta's surprise selections made the ahly eastern enppi kick-off the talking point of the opening round.