Former Ahli and Tersana goalkeeper Ahmed Ekrami has passed away on Saturday at the ripe age of 26 during his sleep. The late Ekrami, the son of prominent Ahli goalkeeper Ekrami Ahmed, joined the Ahli youth ranks at the age of eight before going on to play nine consecutive seasons as first-choice shot-stopper until reaching the first team. Ekrami was named best African goalkeeper in 1997 for his spectacular performances during the U-17 World Championship in Cairo. The young goaltender moved to Tersana in 2001 where he played for five years. He retired from football after sustaining a serious shoulder injury at the beginning of the 2005-2006 season. Ekrami's younger brother Sherif Ekrami also trained as a goalkeeper for Ahli before moving to Dutch club Feyenoord.
