Adly El Keiy: “Zamalek’s Not Our Rival Anymore – It’s Pyramids FC Now”

Adly El Keiy, former president of Al Ahly Football Company, has declared that Zamalek is no longer Al Ahly’s true competitor, placing Pyramids FC as the club’s real rival in today’s Egyptian football scene.

In a fiery TV interview, El Keiy dismissed Zamalek’s repeated accusations of bias and favoritism, saying the club’s officials should stop making excuses and start fixing their own house.

“They once blamed referees, now they blame our dominance. What do they want? For us to give up titles?” he fired.

“Zamalek Can’t Keep Up Historically”

El Keiy made it clear that Al Ahly’s title-winning consistency isn’t new, claiming Zamalek rarely ever wins back-to-back trophies, unlike their Cairo rivals.

He also slammed Zamalek board members for deflecting their internal crises with constant public complaints:

“Fix your club. Don’t distract with baseless accusations.”

“They Sign Our Players Too”

In response to claims of player poaching, El Keiy pointed out that Zamalek also recruits former Al Ahly athletes, across multiple sports:

• 6 ex-Al Ahly stars in Zamalek’s women’s volleyball team
• Ex-Al Ahly players in their basketball and football teams
• He cited names like Gamal Abdel Hamid and the Hassan twins as proof Zamalek has long depended on former Ahly talent.

He defended Emam Ashour and Achraf Bencharki’s moves to Al Ahly, labeling them free and fair transfers.

“Sponsorship Comes from Success, Not State Favoritism”

El Keiy also rejected accusations of state support or favoritism, particularly from Zamalek VP Hesham Nasr, branding them “dangerous and unfounded.”

“If Zamalek truly had more fans, why don’t they bring in bigger sponsorships?”

He said Al Ahly’s commercial success is rooted in planning, fanbase, and achievements, not government favoritism.

Development & Dominance

El Keiy concluded by highlighting Al Ahly’s focus on infrastructure, new projects, and stadium development, stressing:

“Our growth is strategic, not handed to us.”

The message is clear: Al Ahly are moving forward — and expect their rivals to start doing the same.