Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Barcelona clinched the Joan Gamper trophy in a 2-1 friendly win over Al Ahly on Wednesday, at Spotify Camp Nou, where the Catalan club lifted the pre-season title named after its founder.
The Spanish giants took control early, scoring twice in the first half. Hamza Abdelkader opened the scoring in the 30th minute, before Raphinha doubled Barcelona’s advantage in the 45th minute. Al Ahly responded through a late surge and pulled one back via Ahmed Mustafa “Zizo” in the 52nd minute, setting up a tense finish.
Hamza Abdelkader found the net first after a pass from Alejandro Balde, converting the chance to give Barcelona a 1-0 lead. Abdelkader then became the center of attention again after scoring, though he did not celebrate toward the Al Ahly end an emotional detail given his recent move to Barcelona. The young Egyptian forward joined the Catalan side on loan in February before Barcelona activated the option to sign him permanently.
Abdelkader has been in impressive form throughout the summer friendlies, extending his tally to four goals in pre-season matches. His recent output includes two strikes against Birmingham City and another goal against Basel, underlining that the teenager’s preseason influence is growing with every outing.
Raphinha added Barcelona’s second goal just before halftime, scoring from a penalty in the 45th minute. The Brazilian sent the ball powerfully to the left side of Al Ahly goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir.
Barcelona were the more dangerous side for long stretches, forcing saves and generating clear chances. Shobeir made key stops, while Karim Fouad was also involved as Barcelona tested Al Ahly’s back line in several attacking moments. At one stage, Firmin Lopez and Xavi Simons had opportunities that threatened to stretch the advantage, but Al Ahly’s defending and keeping kept the contest within reach.
Al Ahly, meanwhile, struggled to create sustained pressure. The visitors were frequently caught offside, limiting their attacking rhythm. In the second half, they managed only a small number of attempts on Barcelona’s goal during the closing stages of the first period of play and in added time.
The match shifted as both teams made heavy changes in the second half. Al Ahly introduced a series of substitutions guided by Hossam Al-Hassan or rather the Moroccan manager Husein Ammouta bringing on players including Mohamed El-Shennawy, Minsef Bqer, Ahmed Eid, Afsha, Yasser Ibrahim, Hossin El Shahat, Karim El Debbis, Omar El Saai, and Akodai Abdullah.
Zizo scored the visitors’ first goal shortly after the restart, finding the net in the 52nd minute from a pass by “Bqer.” His effort briefly brought Al Ahly level at 2-1 and injected new belief into the contest. However, Zizo’s night ended early when he was substituted in the 13th minute of the second-half segment due to injury, following one of Ammouta’s changes.
Barcelona responded with an even deeper rotation, with Hansi Flick using the opportunity to give playing time to a large group of reserve and fringe options. Among those brought on were Anthony Gordon, Dani Olmo, Gavi, Pedri, Christensen, Karim Adeyemi, and goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, as the German coach continued to reshape the team while keeping the structure of the game.
Despite the changes, Barcelona continued to push for the third goal. The Catalans created several dangerous moments, including one late penalty event that almost sealed the result. Anthony Gordon, who joined Barcelona this summer from Newcastle United, was fouled and won a penalty in the 91st minute. Shoua or rather Mostafa Shobeir produced another response in the closing phase as the keeper denied Gordon from the spot, keeping Al Ahly’s hope alive until the final whistle.
For Barcelona, the win marked a trophy moment in a packed pre-season schedule, as they captured the Joan Gamper trophy for the 48th time in the club’s history. For Al Ahly, the game offered valuable minutes against one of Europe’s most high-profile sides, even as the Egyptian team was forced to chase the score after conceding two goals before halftime.
Barcelona’s victory, powered by goals from Hamza Abdelkader and Raphinha, ensured the trophy returned to Catalonia, with a late Al Ahly strike providing the only real scare in a match that ended 2-1.
