In a new step towards strengthening international relations and cooperation, Al Ahly Club welcomed today, Wednesday, a delegation from the American Embassy in Cairo. The visit comes as part of the joint cooperation between the two sides in preparation for the Red team's participation in the 2024 FIFA Club World Cup, which will kick off next June in the United States.
The American delegation was headed by Ruben Haroutinian, Minister-Counselor for Public Diplomacy at the U.S. Embassy, accompanied by Tom Tanner, Deputy Spokesperson of the Embassy, Mary Catherine, Deputy Cultural Attaché, along with Sara Massad, Ahmed Lotfy, and Mahmoud Rahim from the embassy’s cultural section. The delegation was received by Khaled Mortagy, Acting Vice President of Al Ahly, and Secretary of the Board, Khaled Morsi, Director of the Gezira Branch, Amir Tawfik, Executive Director of Al Ahly Football Company, Naira Ali, General Director of Marketing at the company, and Sherif Fouad, Media Advisor to the Club’s Board.
According to a statement on the club’s official website, this visit comes as part of the ongoing support for the cooperation between Al Ahly and the American Embassy, especially in light of preparations for the Club World Cup, set to take place in June next year. The club expressed its gratitude to the U.S. Embassy for its continued collaboration in facilitating travel procedures, player visas, and providing full administrative support for the team’s delegation, reflecting the depth of the relationship between the two sides.
In this context, Khaled Mortagy, Acting Vice President of Al Ahly, welcomed the American Embassy delegation, emphasizing the club’s Board of Directors, headed by Mahmoud El Khatib, appreciation for the visit, especially at this important time before the team’s travel to the United States. Mortagy added that Al Ahly values the fruitful cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in various organizational and administrative aspects, which will greatly facilitate matters in the coming period. He also expressed hope for the continuity of this collaboration between the club and the American Embassy, especially in light of the team’s great ambitions for the World Cup.
For his part, Ruben Haroutinian, Minister-Counselor for Public Diplomacy, expressed his great happiness with Al Ahly’s participation in the 2024 Club World Cup in the U.S., confirming the U.S. Embassy’s readiness to provide all forms of support and coordination to organize joint events between the club and the embassy, in line with the prestigious sports status that Al Ahly holds, which is fitting for its historic participation in this global tournament.
The U.S. Embassy delegation also extended an invitation to Al Ahly's management to coordinate the team’s opening match against Inter Miami in the tournament. The delegation expressed interest in collaborating with the club on several joint initiatives, including organizing educational sports programs for a team of athletes designated by Al Ahly, as well as coordinating with the club’s media department to prepare joint content to be shared on social media platforms between the two clubs, aiming to enhance interaction between the American and Egyptian audiences.
The delegation also highlighted the importance of the participation of American expatriates and embassy members in the activities of the Club World Cup, with a focus on facilitating their attendance at matches at Al Ahly’s venues in Egypt. This initiative comes as part of promoting the culture of sports and exchanging experiences between American and Egyptian sports, marking an important step that reflects close cooperation between Egyptian and American sports.
Al Ahly is set to kick off their 2024 Club World Cup campaign with a match against Inter Miami on June 15, 2024, in the team’s first match of the tournament. Al Ahly aims to deliver a strong performance in this global competition, which represents a golden opportunity to be present at international sports events and compete against top clubs worldwide.
It’s worth noting that Al Ahly’s participation in the Club World Cup is part of the team’s ambitions to strengthen its global presence, especially after achieving numerous local and continental titles, and it is now striving to achieve new successes on the world stage, with continued support from its fans, who look forward to new triumphs in the biggest global sports tournaments.
