Al Ittihad dominate season in Egypt to play at Basketball Africa League 2021

CAIRO (Egypt) - Al Ittihad are the 2020 Egypt's Super League champions after closing the best-of-five Finals with an 81-72 win against Al Ahly in Game 4 on Thursday in Cairo.

This is Al Itthiad's  15th league title and first since 2010, but an highly significant one for the Alexandria-based side who completed a double success this season, after clinching the 2020 Egypt Cup title two weeks ago thanks to a 76-73 triumph over Al Ahly. 

The new champions closed the Finals series with a 3-1 win. 

It was a perfect season for a team that counts with a number of Egyptian internationals and is coached by Ahmed Marei, who has recently been reappointed head coach of Egypt men's team. 

Former Egypt international Ismael Ahmad, who helped his country to two FIBA AfroBasket Third-Places finishes in 2001 and 2003, was named the 2020 Egypt Super League Most Valuable Player.

Ismail Ahmad 

Ahmad, who turns 44 later this month, propelled the new champions with 16 points, five rebounds and four assists, Marvel Harris contributed 16 points,  Egypt international Youssef Sousha added eleven points and Ahmed Dola finished with 13 points for Al Ittihad.

Meanwhile, Ehab Amin, who played his first professional season after a four-year US College basketball career with Oregon University and Corpus Christi, lifted the trophy for the top scorer in the competition.

Al Ittihad's Moamen Doga received the trophy for the Finals' best three-point shooter.

The Super League's four-month suspension caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 played affected Al Ahly's campaign, said head coach Ashraf Tawfek in a phone interview with FIBA.basketball.

Ashrif Farouk Tawfek Elsayed (Al Ahly)

The league resume last month. "Effectively we had only three weeks to work on our game plan, which in my opinion is not long enough. Prior to the league my team was in great shape. We missed two important players Ibrahim El Gammal and Ahmed El Selaawi. But this is not an excuse for our defeat. I take full responsibility in the loss.

"I have to admit that Al Ittihad were better than us at both ends of the floor," Tawfek said.

The league title means the return of Al Ittihad to Africa's major clubs' competition for the first time since 2012 FIBA Africa Champions Cup when they finished fourth after a 76-64 defeat to Al Ahly in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.

FIBA