Africa’s most successful club, Al Ahly have sacked their Swiss coach Marcel Koller just a few weeks to the FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
Koller was relieved of his duties on Saturday after the Red Devils were eliminated in the semi-final of the CAF Champions League.
Al Ahly lost to South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns on away goals after settling for a 1-1 draw in Cairo on Friday with the first-leg ending in a goalless draw in Pretoria.
The 64-year-old was appointed Al Ahly manager in September 2022 and he led the Egyptian powerhouse to several domestic and continental success.
Koller’s feat in the North African country includes one Egyptian Premier League (2022-23), three Egyptian Super Cup (2022, 2023 and 2024), two Egypt Cup (2021-22 and 2022-23), and two CAF Champions League (2022-23 and 2023-24).
How has Al Ahly fared in 2024-25 season
As a result of their defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns, Al Ahly have now failed to qualify for the CAF Champions League final for the first time since 2019.
However, the Red Devils are still in contention for the Egyptian Premier League crown and they second in the table with four points behind leaders Pyramids.
They record a downturn of form in March when they lost three games back-to-back while in April, they managed to win three games out of seven in all competitions.
What’s next for Al Ahly
Al Ahly are yet to make a decision on a new manager but Egyptian coach Emad El Nahhas has taken over on an interim basis and he led the team to a 3-2 win against Petrojet in a league fixture.
Al Ahly, the most decorated football club in Egypt, still have five league matches to play in May before they turn their attention to the FIFA Club World Cup in June.
The reigning African champions will begin their quest for glory in the expanded global tournament against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami at the Hard Rock Stadium on June 15. They will also face Brazilian giants Palmeiras and Portuguese champions Porto in the group stage.
