The Ahly Fan in a Zamalek Shirt Who Became a War Hero

The opening moments of the 133rd Cairo derby between Zamalek and Al Ahly brought more than football to the stands, as Zamalek fans unveiled a cinematic tifo paying tribute to Egypt’s national memory and the heroes of the October War.

The display featured an archival photograph of an Egyptian soldier wearing a white shirt with two red stripes, flanked by a warplane and a tank, with the Egyptian flag waving in the background. Beneath the image was a message reading, “In memory of the heroes, draw inspiration from the spirit of victory.”

The striking image soon sparked curiosity among Egyptian football fans, with many wondering who the soldier was and how the photograph came to be.

The man behind the photograph was Yahya Hassanein, a native of Belqas in Dakahlia Governorate who served as a missile commander with the 53rd Fahd Battalion, operating Malutka anti-tank missiles during the October War. He reportedly destroyed more than 10 Israeli tanks during the fighting.

In an unexpected twist, Hassanein was an Al Ahly supporter, despite being immortalised in the colours of the club’s arch-rivals. A bodybuilding enthusiast, he became an unlikely symbol of unity between Egypt’s football rivalry and its national history.

The photograph itself dates back to 1972, when Hassanein was stationed with his battalion at the Fayed military base in Ismailia. During breaks from daily training, the armed forces organised football competitions between battalions to give soldiers some respite, distributing shirts representing Egypt’s major clubs, including Al Ahly, Zamalek and Ismaily. Hassanein’s battalion happened to receive Zamalek shirts.

The photograph was taken by his friend, Sergeant Ibrahim Abdel Aal, the renowned tank hunter who served with the 16th Brigade. Despite a ban on cameras inside the camp, Abdel Aal secured special permission from his commanders to take commemorative photographs.

The image then remained tucked away for nearly 20 years before resurfacing and finding a new audience decades later, eventually becoming the centrepiece of a tifo in the stands of Egyptian football.