Ahmed Nadhir Benbouali, the Pyramids FC striker, scored his team’s fourth goal against El Merriekh Bentiu (4-0) before going off injured on Saturday 24 October in Cairo. An initial examination suggests a hamstring tear, the severity of which is yet to be confirmed.
The evening had started well enough for Ahmed Nadhir Benbouali. Coming on during the second half, the Algerian international striker scored his side’s fourth goal in the 71st minute against El Merriekh Bentiu on Saturday 24 October at the Air Defence Stadium in Cairo, KingFut reports. Eight minutes later, he left the pitch injured.
The Egyptian club confirmed its 26-year-old striker’s muscle injury shortly after the match (4-0). According to Ahram Online, Benbouali was injured a few minutes after his goal and was forced to make way in the 79th minute.
A hamstring tear
The provisional diagnosis came from the club’s medical chief. “An initial clinical examination indicates a muscle tear in the hamstring,” said Dr Mostafa El-Moniry, Pyramids FC’s head doctor, as quoted by KingFut. The wording remains cautious: it is only an initial clinical examination.
The striker must undergo further radiological tests as well as an MRI to assess the exact severity of the injury and plan his rehabilitation. Detailed results are expected within 48 hours, and only then will the length of his absence be determined.
Pyramids, who had already used all five substitutions, finished the match with ten men against eleven, KingFut notes.
A perfect record under Mokwena
Having arrived last summer from Sporting Charleroi, after a loan spell in Hungary at Győr, Benbouali signed for Pyramids FC. Under head coach Rulani Mokwena, the club have a perfect record at the start of the 2026-2027 campaign: four wins in the CAF Champions League and seven wins in the Egyptian league, according to SuperSport.
The club have also secured their place in the CAF Champions League group stage by winning 4-0 in the return leg, a 5-0 aggregate score, according to CAF Online.
The stakes go beyond Cairo for the striker. According to La Gazette du Fennec, this injury halts the Algerian’s positive momentum, as he was pushing for a regular return to the national team.
A timeframe to be set within 48 hours
The MRI and further tests should therefore give the medical staff a clear picture of the severity of the injury. No length of absence has yet been announced. The 26-year-old remains under the supervision of the medical staff, and his rehabilitation will be planned once those tests are known.
Pyramids are also awaiting the draw for the CAF Champions League group stage, scheduled for 28 October 2026, four days after Benbouali’s injury.