Rabat – Egyptian giants Al Ahly have officially appointed Moroccan coach Hussein Ammouta as the new head coach of their first team on a two-year contract.
The club confirmed the appointment on Monday following a meeting of its board of directors, chaired by President Mahmoud El Khatib.
Ammouta’s arrival forms part of a wider restructuring of Al Ahly’s football department, based on proposals submitted by Vice President Yassin Mansour and board member Sayed Abdelhafiz, who oversee the club’s football affairs.
The Moroccan coach replaces Jess Thorup, whose contract with Al Ahly was ended by mutual agreement earlier this month.
The club also announced that Yasser Radwan would join Ammouta’s new coaching staff.
Ammouta arrives in Cairo with extensive experience in Moroccan, African, and Arab football.
One of his biggest achievements came in 2017, when he guided Wydad Casablanca to the CAF Champions League title after defeating Al Ahly in the final.
Wydad held the Egyptian club to a 1-1 draw in Alexandria before winning the return leg 1-0 in Casablanca.
Ammouta also led Wydad to the Moroccan league title during the same season.
His other achievements include winning the Moroccan Throne Cup with FUS Rabat and the Qatari league with Al Sadd.
At the international level, he guided Morocco’s local-based national team to the African Nations Championship title in 2021.
Historic run with Jordan
Ammouta further strengthened his reputation during his time with the Jordan national team.
He led Jordan to their first AFC Asian Cup final in 2024 after memorable knockout-stage victories over Iraq, Tajikistan, and South Korea.
Jordan eventually lost the final to hosts Qatar, but the run marked the country’s best result in the competition’s history.
Under Ammouta, Jordan also topped their group in the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, finishing ahead of Saudi Arabia.
The Al Ahly job will place Ammouta under immediate pressure to compete for domestic and continental titles.
The Cairo club regularly enters every competition as one of the favorites and has one of the largest and most demanding fan bases in African football.
His past success against Al Ahly with Wydad will also add interest to his appointment, as he now takes charge of the club he defeated to win his first CAF Champions League title.
