Did you ever wonder why there are clubs that are consistently winning?
Is it about the big sponsors and budgets? Is it about the players? The management?
For example, why is Bayern Munich in Germany, Al Ahly in Egypt, or Real Madrid in Spain winning most of the time?
Today I will share with you the psychological secret behind the success of Al Ahly in Egypt and what is the scientific secret behind the spirit of the red shirt (in Arabic : ROH ELFANELA ELHAMRA)
Yes, indeed! (ROH ELFANELA ELHAMRA) has a scientific and psychological explanation.
Al Ahly in Egypt is the most successful club in the world of football. Al Ahly has a record of 42 national league titles, 37 national cup titles, and 11 national super cup titles, making them the most decorated club in Egypt. The club has never been relegated to the Egyptian Second Division. Al Ahly is considered the most successful team in Africa and is one of the continent’s giants.
In international competitions, the club has won a record 10 CAF Champions League titles, a CAF Confederation Cup, a record eight CAF Super Cups, a record four African Cup Winners’ Cups, an Afro-Asian Club Championship, an Arab Club Champions Cup, an Arab Cup Winners’ Cup, a record two Arab Super Cups, and has won three bronze medals in the FIFA Club World Cup. With 24 continental titles, Al Ahly is the most successful football club in African history and was voted by CAF as the African club of the 20th century. The club’s international trophy haul is the second largest in world football, behind Real Madrid.
And now to the story behind the success of Al Ahly:
Al Ahly is called the fourth pyramid in Egypt because of their trophies, and that’s not just because of the perfect leadership, vision, great players and system. I went inside the club – the players’ dressing rooms, players fitness rooms, and facilities. My dad is one of the biggest fans of Al Ahly, and he has passed that over to me. I have many friends who played in Al Ahly and are now big leaders there. I still watch all the Al Ahly matches although I don’t live in Egypt anymore.
But why are we mentally and psychologically so attached to it?
I always wanted to know the secret of the success of this club. I feel like it’s not only about the system or planning; it’s not only about the respect and the great spirit inside and around it. I know I had to understand why.
What is behind Al Ahly Club’s success?
After digging, reading, and researching, I have discovered the answer.
It is a self-fulfilling prophecy
Let me explain first some expressions and give you some facts from international studies to make you understand that expression:
- A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that causes itself to become true. That means that when someone believes in something and that it will happen, and we visualize it, it will undoubtedly happen as planned if it is realistic.
- Not only that, but when a person expects a person to behave in a certain way, most probably this will happen.
- There are two types of self-fulfilling prophecies: Self-imposed prophecies: when a person’s expectations influence their actions. And the other-imposed prophecies occur when others’ expectations influence your behavior, especially those you value.
- The Pygmalion effect is a type of other-imposed self-fulfilling prophecy that states the way you treat someone directly impacts how that person acts. If another person thinks something will happen, they may consciously or unconsciously make it happen through their actions or inaction. There is a study that teachers and coaches treat their students or players like they are the best and put high expectations on them to perform better.
And now back to Al Ahly:
There is an idea in each player’s mind in Al Ahly from young to old: “we are the best, we are the heroes, we are the masters of football in Africa, and we will win every championship we enter.”
Al Ahly leadership is giving the players and the trainers and staff all they need to achieve this. But still, they are also working with all circumstances and make sure to bring positive wording for the team towards the self-fulfilling prophecy in training, media, occasions, and conferences.
The same affirmations that Al Ahly players know are that the fans believe in them and say it in their songs to the team in the stadium. Every fan of Al Ahly believes that the team will win. Every reporter in the stadium and around it thinks the same. But you know what? Also, the team playing against Al Ahly knows that Al Ahly will win in the end.
You wanna know how that reflects on Al Ahly?
Al Ahly scored in this period in the last minute and after the official time of the matches 103 local goals, both in the League (93) and Egypt Cup (8 goals) and the Egyptian Super (two goals).
On the African level, Al-Ahly scored 23 different goals in this period in the African Champions League (18), the Confederation (3), and the African Super (2). In comparison, 3 goals came at the level of the Arab Championship.
Al Ahly has a great history, values, understanding, and system. Their leadership exhibits an excellent knowledge of how the people’s minds are functioning and how circumstances can work for their success.
This is why I believe Al Ahly will always stay up in the skies and have one success after the other.
I learned a lot in my life from Al Ahly, but the most important thing that we all should learn is using the self fulfilling prophecy in the right way:
- Believe in yourself and trust the process and be patient.
- Speak positively about yourself. Say it out loud and tell everyone that you are the best.
- Don’t get into any losing battle.
- It’s never too late to get your wins. You win or you learn.
- Be optimistic.
- Stop being a victim & let everyone in the system focus on one target and know the main values and goals.
- Live in the present. Focus on your current game.
- Move on from your past and put your trophies behind. Think about getting your next one.
- Continue to work on developing yourself everyday.
- Your Values are shaping your image, always be loyal to them.
