Mario Palma, Al Ahly men’s basketball new head coach, expressed his happiness after signing his contract with the club, adding that he knows the value of the club and he will fight to succeed with the Red Eagles.

Palma, born in Guinea Bissau, is one of the best coaches in the history of the continent and he made his name in Angola, where he worked for 45 years, as well as having successful spells in Tunisia and Jordan.

Palma hopes to follow the steps of his fellow Portuguese coach Manuel Jose, who achieved much success during his time with Al Ahly’s football first-team.

We sat with Palma to discuss his new mission and his ambitions with the team, who will resume their journey in the Egyptian League with an important clash against Al Ittihad Alexandria Club in the semi-finals.  

“Al Ahly is the biggest club in Egypt and one of the biggest clubs in Africa and the Middle East. I am so honored to coach a big club like Al Ahly.”

“I hope to have the same success as Manuel Jose. He won more than five African titles, which is not easy. He loves Al Ahly and always speaks highly about the club in Portugal.”

“It is a difficult mission and we do not have much time before the league games, but we will do our best and we will fight for the title.”

“I have been here in Egypt many times and I know Al Ahly but I found out that the club is bigger than I expected when I signed for the club.”

“People always talk about Al Ahly football team and I hope that they start talking in the future about Al Ahly basketball team.”

“Basketball is a team game and that is the mentality that I will try to instill in the team. It is easier when we all work together. No one can win games alone and it is not a one-man mission. We all have to work together to win; the fans, the board, the coaches, and the players.”

“I am so happy to work alongside Tarek El Ghannam. He is the director of the team and he is a basketball legend. I know him for a long time as I faced Egypt national team on many occasions and I talked with him a lot. He knows basketball as he played for Al Ahly and the national team and he knows what I need to succeed. I am very happy to work with him. He is my friend and will help me a lot.”

“We have a good team with many talented players. The players need to know that it is a privilege to represent Al Ahly. They are playing for the biggest club in Africa and the Middle East and I expect them to do all their best.”