Ali Maaloul reveals career success and insist Al Ahly is one biggest club in the world
Ali Maaloul reveals how changing his position was crucial for his professional career success and has insisted that Al Ahly is one of the World’s biggest clubs.
The Tunisia international has won three Egyptian Premier League titles, two Egyptian Super Cups and the Egypt Cup since his arrival from Club Sportif Sfaxien in 2016.
Now football in Egypt has been hit with suspension from the coronavirus pandemic, with no clear date of return, but Maaloul has revealed his progression from the Tunisian side to Ahly, and how changing his position as an attacking player has helped his career.
“My youth coaches at Club Sportif Sfaxien advised to change my position and play as a left-back instead of on attacking midfielder or a left winger,” He told Al Ahly TV.
“They taught me how to play in my new position and I kept training until I was able to play as a left-back. I was then immediately promoted to the first team.”
The 30-year-old labeled respect for former CS Sfaxien team-mate Abdelkerim Nafti- who wanted Maaloul to make a move to Europe one day and have a feel of the European game.
But the Tunisian International who was crowned Ahly player of the year 2019 has since 2016 found himself in Cairo based club Al Ahly- describing the North African side as one of the biggest clubs not only in Africa but in the world.
“I have a lot of respect and appreciation to former CSS player Abdelkerim Nafti, I even named my son Karim after him, he always wanted me to play in Europe.
“I now play at Al Ahly, one of the biggest clubs in Africa and the world. And with time it has been proven to me that joining the Al Ahly family was the right decision,” he concluded.
Despite his success in the domestic scene with the Egyptian heavyweights, he has not tasted continental glory after his first two maiden CAF Champions League finals for Al Ahly have all ended in defeats against Wydad Casablanca in 2017 and Espérance de Tunis in 2018.
But the 2019-2020 season could be a year Ahly can attain continental triumph after reaching the semifinals of the Champions League for a third time in four years.
Prior to their progression to the Champions League semis, Ali Maaloul netted twice in the second half to give Al Ahly a huge advantage over Mamelodi Sundowns before going into the return leg in Tshwane during the quarter finals of the competition.
