Al Ahly (basketball)

Al Ahly is an Egyptian basketball club of Al Ahly SC, located in Cairo, Cairo Governorate, that plays in the Egypt Basketball Super League. Currently, two of its athletes play for the Egypt men's national basketball team. The team is a part of the multi-sports club of the same name.

The club has won six Egyptian Super League titles and eleven Egyptian Cup titles. Internationally, Al Ahly has won the FIBA Africa Champions Cup in 2016, the BAL in 2023, and the Arabophone Championship in 2021.

History
Ahly Basketball team was founded in 1930. It is one of the oldest basketball clubs in Egypt and in Africa.

The team played his first game against Al Ittihad Alexandria in front of the Egyptian King Farouq in 1937. Al Ahly won its first Egyptian national championship in the 1988–89 season.

In July 2021, Al Ahly signed Spanish coach Augustí Julbe as their new head coach. In the following 2021–22 season, Ahly won its sixth Premier League title and thus qualified for the 2023 season of the Basketball Africa League (BAL).

In the following season, Al Ahly made their debut in the BAL and had a 4–1 record in the Nile Conference, which was hosted in Cairo. In the playoffs, Al Ahly defeated REG and Stade Malien in the quarter- and semi-finals. In the final, Al Ahly defeated the Senegalese champions AS Douanes 80–65, to win their second continental title and first BAL title. Al Ahly forward Nuni Omot was named the league MVP. In the 2022–23 domestic season, Al Ahly won the double once again under Julbe.

In the following season, Al Ahly represented Africa in the 2023 FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Singapore. On 21 September 2023, Al Ahly became the first African club to win a game in the competition's 33-year existence, following a win over the NBA G League Ignite.

National achievements

 * Egyptian Super League
 *  Simple cup icon.svg Winners (7) : 1988–89, 1999–00,  2000–01, 2011–12,  2015–16,  2021–22, 2022–23
 * Egypt Cup
 *  Simple cup icon.svg Winners (11) (shared record): 1987–88, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1998–99, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2017–18,  2021–22, 2022–23
 * Egyptian Mortabat League
 *  Simple cup icon.svg Winners (9) (record): 2005–06, 2006–07, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–2019, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24.
 * Egyptian Super Cup
 *  Simple cup icon.svg Winners (1) : 2023

International achievements

 * Basketball Africa League: 1
 * Gold medal africa.svg Champions (shared record): 2023
 * FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup: 1
 * Gold medal africa.svg Champions : 2016
 * Bronze medal africa.svg Third place : 2004, 2012
 * African Basketball Cup Winners' Cup: 2
 * Gold medal africa.svg Champions (record): 1998, 2000

Regional Achievements

 * Arab Club Basketball Championship:
 * [[File:Simple cup icon.svg]] Champions: 2021
 * Simple silver cup.svg Runners-up :1991, 1999, 2000, 2022
 * Simple bronze cup.svg Third place : 1995

2016 FIBA Africa victory
The 2016 FIBA Africa Basketball Club Championship (31st edition), was an international basketball tournament held in Cairo, Egypt from 7 to 16 December 2016. The tournament, organized by FIBA Africa and hosted by Al Ahly, was contested by 10 clubs split into 2 groups of five, the top four of each group qualifying for the knock-out stage, quarter, semi-finals, and final. Al Ahly won the trophy as the first Egyptian basketball team to win it in the new format. At this time, no Egyptian basketball team has reached the final match. By winning this trophy Al Ahly (basketball) became the most titled Egyptian Basketball team 3 titles 1 FIBA Africa Clubs Champions Cup + 2 African Basketball Cup Winners' Cup.

Current team roster

 * Roster for the 2023 BAL season.

Transfers
Transfers for the 2023–24 season

Joining

Leaving
 * 🇪🇬 Ahmed Ismail to 🇪🇬 Zamalek SC

Home arena
As Al Ahly started to create teams for handball, basketball, and volleyball; they saw the importance of building an arena to host home matches for these clubs. The process of developing designs and searching for funds began in 1978, but was ultimately postponed due to funding issues. It wasn't until the 4th of February, 1994, that Al Ahly opened its sports hall.

On the 4th of February, 1994, Al Ahly officially opened his hall in a large opening ceremony. The ceremony started with a few words from Al Ahly chairman Saleh Selim. He declared that the hall would be named "Prince Abdalla El Faisl Hall" due to his efforts and assistance for Al Ahly, in his place, Abdallas' son Mohammed El Faisl received a commemorative medal. The first match held at the hall was friendly basketball game between Al Ahly and Ithhadd Alex. Following the friendly was a futsal match between retired players from Al Ahly and El Esmailly, with the likes of Mohmoud El Khatib and Aly Abu Greisha participating in the match.

Notable players

 * 🇪🇬 Abdel Moneim Wahby
 * 🇪🇬 Abdel Azim Ashry
 * 🇪🇬 Ehab Amin
 * 🇪🇬 Amr Gendy
 * 🇪🇬 Omar Tarek
 * 🇹🇳 Amine Rzig
 * 🇺🇸 Wayne Arnold
 * 🇪🇬 Mohamed Sayed Soliman

Head coaches
The following is a (incomplete) list of Al Ahly's head coaches:
 * Mário Palma: (2021)
 * 🇪🇸 Augustí Julbe: (2021–present)

Videos

 * Al Ahly Basketball Fans Youtube.com video