Ahmed Abdo Abdel Aziz was born on July 8th, 1965, in Moharam Bek, Alexandria, to a Nubian family. Fans of Al-Olympi Club nicknamed him “The Cup” in reference to the club’s 1960s star Mohamed “El Kas.” Where Do We Begin?
The Cup's love affair with Alexandria began in childhood — at nine years old, he joined Al-Olympi and trained under Captain Fischer at the football academy. He gradually worked his way up through the youth teams, then broke into the first squad at 18, honing his craft under coaches including Salah Khalil, Hassan Khalil, Shawkat, and Mahmoud Bakr. In the 1982–83 season he joined the first team, but his slight physique kept him on the fringes. By 1983–84, under Captain "El Bouri," he was a regular. El Bouri shifted him from defensive midfielder to left winger — a move that would prove transformative, opening the door to the national team and sharpening his eye for goal. The Rise of "Kaso"
Kaso's star truly blazed in the 1987–88 season, following the club's promotion from the Second Division. Around that time he joined the Olympic national squad under the late Captain Ahmed Refaat for the Friendship Tournament in the UAE — and from there, earned his first call-up to the senior national team in 1987. Kaso's Journey Away and Back
In 1995, Kaso made the move to Zamalek, where he stayed until 1997. His departure from the White House was tinged with grief — the death of his father — and he chose to return to Alexandria, rejoining Al-Olympi in the Second Division with the dream of lifting them back to the Premier League. Two full seasons weren't enough to get there. In 1999 he moved to Al-Ittihad Al-Sakandari, rekindled his brilliance one last time, and drew the curtain on his playing career in 2000. The Offers That Never Were
In the early 90s, following Egypt's memorable performances against the Netherlands and England at the 1990 World Cup in Italy, offers flooded in for the Egyptian players who had shone on that stage. Word spread that AC Milan were in talks to sign him; offers came in from Roma, Juventus, and Chelsea too. He turned them all down — his mother was ill, and nothing else mattered. The Man Behind the Player
First job: oyster worker during his middle-school years. First wage: half a pound. His mother passed away while he was away on national team duty in Scotland and Romania. When the news reached him, he suffered a temporary paralysis of his tongue.
He refused to marry until late in life — waiting until both his sisters were safely settled first. Throughout the 90s, he wore a wedding band on the pitch, fuelling all manner of rumours — most notably that he had proposed to actress Laila Alawi.
He has two daughters: Jana and Jaida.
His first reward in football came at Al-Olympi, from the late Hosni Awni — a set of school stationery, notebooks and pens.
His first cash payment from Al-Olympi came from the late Mustafa Shatta: 10 Egyptian pounds.
His most treasured reward of all: an Umrah pilgrimage, gifted after Egypt's qualification for the 1990 World Cup.
The fans' famous chant: "Captain Cup — a name the whole world knows; he makes the blind man see." Passions & Pastimes
His voice is a gift — he has sung at many Nubian celebrations and plays the riq with ease. He has a love for theatre and cartoons, and a deep, unwavering devotion to tea. The Numbers
Clubs:
- Al-Olympi — 1983 to 1994 - Zamalek — 1995 to 1997 - Al-Ittihad Al-Sakandari — 1999 to 2000 Top scorer in the league with Al-Olympi: 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94 With Zamalek:
- CAF Champions League — 1996 - African Super Cup and Afro-Asian Cup — 1997 - 33 goals across two seasons in all competitions: 25 in the league, 6 in the Champions League, 2 in the Cup With the National Team:
- 112 international appearances between 1987 and 1997, scoring 25 goals — including 3 at the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa - African Games in Kenya: led the squad to gold - Provided the assist for Hossam Hassan's qualifying goal for the 1990 World Cup; one of Egypt's standout performers at the tournament - Arab Championship in Syria, 1992: title won against Saudi Arabia, with a goal in the final - Military World Cup with the military national team, 1993 Individual Honours
- Best Player at the 1996 Africa Cup of Nations - Among a select group to have scored more than 100 league goals — 107 in total: 78 with Al-Olympi, 25 with Zamalek, 4 with Al-Ittihad - Egypt's best player — more than once Life After Playing
Kaso has taken charge of several Egyptian clubs, most notably Al-Olympi, Abu Qir Fertilizers, Zed, Al-Canal, and Misr Club. Since October 2023 he has served as technical director of Egypt's Under-17 national team — and led them to the 2025 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar, ending a 28-year absence from the tournament.