BARCELONA: The Joan Gamper Trophy has inaugurated FC Barcelona’s league season for the past seven decades. Every August, the Catalan giants go to great lengths to line up a marquee opponent, and this year they invited the biggest club in Africa and the Arab world — Al-Ahly SC. When the friendly was announced, few could have imagined that an 18-year-old Egyptian would be the talk of Blaugrana fans the world over. The striker scored the opening goal as Barcelona fended off a second-half surge from Al-Ahly to win 2-1 and lift the Joan Gamper Trophy in front of their fans.

El combinado barcelonés se impuso al cuadro egipcio en el tradicional torneo veraniego disputado en el Camp Nou.

BARCELONA: The Joan Gamper Trophy has inaugurated FC Barcelona’s league season for the past seven decades. Every August, the Catalan giants go to great lengths to line up a…