Al Ahly imposed the largest fine in the club’s history on Emam Ashour for failing to travel with the team to Tanzania for their match against Young Africans in the fourth round of the 2025-26 CAF Champions League group stage.
The team arrived at Cairo International Airport, but Ashour did not appear. He also failed to answer phone calls from officials and teammates. His absence was subsequently announced, and he was penalized with two weeks of individual training and a fine of 1.5 million Egyptian pounds.
According to various Egyptian media outlets, there are two main reasons for Ashour’s crisis and what is perceived as a “rebellion” against Mahmoud El Khatib’s administration.
The first reason is what can be described as “jealousy” of Ahmed Sayed Zizo and Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet, specifically due to their high salaries, which reach 100 million Egyptian pounds. El Khatib had promised Ashour a contract renewal and a salary increase, but this promise was never fulfilled.
Things may have escalated after Ashour wanted to take a penalty kick in the recent Wadi Degla match, only to be surprised when Zizo took it. A heated exchange ensued between the player and Al Ahly captain Mohamed Hany, which was later resolved amicably.
Another, albeit uncertain, reason for Imam’s recent crisis is that the Egyptian international has received an offer from the American league for double his current salary. His current rebellion stems from his desire to terminate his contract with Al Ahly, or at least to be allowed to leave if the official offer reaches Mahmoud El Khatib’s administration.
Al Ahly is currently monitoring Imam Ashour’s compliance with disciplinary measures. If he fails to train individually, the penalties against him will be increased and could reach a quarter of his contract.
