Morocco international forward Soufiane Benjdida has joined Egyptian and African giants Al Ahly SC after the Cairo club announced his acquisition on Sunday from newly-crowned Botola Pro champions Maghreb Association Sportive (MAS Fès).
The 24-year-old former Raja Casablanca and Standard Liège striker joins on a contract for three seasons after Al Ahly paid MAS a reported €2.3 million transfer fee.
Benjdida leaves after his remarkable 2025-26 campaign helped MAS win their first Botola Pro title since the 1984-85 season. He scored 20 league goals, the second highest total in league history and most since KAC Kénitra hitman Mohamed Boussati set the record with 25 strikes during the 1981-82 season.
Al Ahly have been in desperate search for an accomplished striker since the departure of Palestinian forward Wessam Abou Ali following the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup. The Red Devils endured a disastrous 2025-26 season by their lofty standards, only managing a third place finish in Egypt’s Nile League while exiting at the quarterfinal stage of the CAF Champions League.
The only trophy they captured was the Egyptian Super Cup. Also notably, Al Ahly were stunned in the Round of 32 of the Egypt Cup by second tier club We SC.
Now Benjdida arrives after a few forwards struggled to find their form during this past season. Slovenian international Nejc Gradisar did not find the net enough before being shipped back to European club football on loan while Angolan loan signing Ieltsin Camões only made a handful of appearances before returning to Norwegian club Tromsø.
Domestic forward Mohamed Sherif also failed to provide much punch upon his return from Saudi football. Captain and winger Trezeguet was the team’s leading scorer with 18 goals in all competitions last season.
The Nile League will begin its 2026-27 season on August 20, where Ahly will hope to return to the summits of Egyptian and African football under new coach Hussein Ammouta. They previously enjoyed a three-season spell of dominance in Egypt’s top flight from 2022 through 2025 before being toppled this past season.
Benjdida, previously a prized graduate of Raja CA’s youth system who made his professional debut with The Green Eagles during the 2020-21 season, scored 14 goals in all competitions over three seasons with the club.
He went off to Europe with Standard, where he spent the first season with the club’s reserve team in Belgium’s second tier Challenger Pro League before scoring 2 goals with the senior team during the 2024-25 Jupiler Pro League campaign. He also spent a half season on loan with RWDM Brussels before experiencing a career revival this past season with MAS.
