Mahmoud El Khatib, Al Ahly president, thanked the representatives of the UAE’s government for their warm reception to Al Ahly’s delegation that arrived at Abu Dhabi International Airport on Monday to participate in the FIFA Club World Cup. 

El Khatib said that this gesture is a normal one from our brothers from the UAE, whom we enjoy with a great and historic relation. 

Al Ahly's president added that holding international competitions in the UAE reflects its great abilities in organizing such prestigious sports events.

El Khatib also spoke about Al Ahly’s participation in the FIFA Club World Cup for the seventh time in the club’s history, saying that he has great faith in all the players and that any player who represents Al Ahly will always do his best to meet the club’s high expectations. 

Additionally, El Khatib noted that Al Ahly’s officials will not speak about the difficult circumstances that the club faces and that the team’s objective is to put on strong performances and accomplish great achievements, just like in the past.

Moreover, El Khatib pointed out that the coaching staff and everyone know the huge responsibility that they have, and that they are capable of overcoming all the obstacles and making our fans happy. 

Additionally, El Khatib refused to talk about the participation of Al Ahly’s players with the Egyptian national football team in the Africa Cup of Nations, which could prevent them from playing in the FIFA Club World Cup with Al Ahly. 

El Khatib added that the club has sent official letters to the FIFA, CAF, and the Egyptian Football Association regarding the clash of dates between the FIFA Club World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.
 
El Khatib continued that the EFA’s president, at that time, announced that Al Ahly will participate in the FIFA Club World Cup with a full squad, and that the Egyptian national football team will also have a full squad in the Africa Cup of Nations, noting that there will be no contradiction at all between the 
dates of both competitions.

However, in the end, we were surprised that the dates of both competitions remained unchanged; therefore, the club decided to prioritize the nation’s general good over Al Ahly’s own interests.

El Khatib clarified that such decision was taken due to the fact that Al Ahly’s board of directors believes that our players have a duty towards the national team and that their achievements with the national team will consequently make our fans happy, who also support the Egyptian national team in the competition.

El Khatib concluded that Al Ahly SC will continue to offer support to the Egyptian national teams of all age groups under any circumstances.