Al Ahly eye Egyptian League summit as Thorup makes domestic debut against Al Ittihad

Al Ahly will aim to move top of the Egyptian Premier League when they host Al Ittihad of Alexandria at Cairo International Stadium on Saturday, in what will be coach Jess Thorup’s first domestic outing with the club.

The match, part of the 11th round of the season, kicks off at 17:00 local time (GMT +3).

The defending champions sit on 18 points, but with games in hand. A win would see them lead the summit. Al Ittihad, meanwhile, are struggling in 17th place, with just eight points from nine matches.

Thorup began his tenure with a 1-0 win over Burundi’s Aigle Noir in the CAF Champions League on Saturday.

Al Ahly will be without six players due to injury, including striker Mohamed Sherif, who sustained a muscular issue during the continental win.

Midfielders Ahmed Reda, Karim Fouad, Emam Ashour and Hussein El Shahat, along with defender Achraf Dari, are also unavailable.

The Cairo giants boast a dominant record in this fixture, winning 85 of their past 127 league meetings with Al Ittihad. The Alexandrian side have claimed victory 16 times, with 26 draws.