Promoted Smouha are hosting the defending champions on Thursday in the Egyptian Premier League.

Belal, who joined Smouha on a free transfer in the summer after his contract with Ahli ran out, is widely expected to feature against the Cairo giants for the first time ever in the anticipated game.

"It's very difficult," the 30-year-old said. "I will play against Ahli for the first time. I spent 15 of my career at that club, so it's not easy.

"But I'm a professional footballer after all and right now I'm a Smouha player.

"I do still love Ahli, I just can't help it."

Eight years ago, Belal used to be a prolific hitman at Ahli, having been named the Egyptian Premier League top scorer in the 2002-2003 season with a 19-goal tally.

In 2005, he joined Turkish club Konyaspor, where he spent a dull two-year spell.

Belal then joined Ankaragucu on loan in another attempt to prove his worth in Turkey but again failed to impress, before returning to his boyhood club Ahli in 2007.

However, he struggled to secure a starting berth at the club during Manuel Jose's reign. His status as an outcast remained the same when Al-Badri took the helm later on, which culminated in his departure.

Another Win

Smouha, who are languishing at the bottom of the league table, are seeking to compound the woes of the six-time African champions by causing an upset on Thursday.

Ahli, whose trip to the Alexandrian outfit will be their first competitive match under interim coach Abdul-Aziz Abdul-Shafi 'Zizo', suffered a 3-1 loss at Ismaili in their last league game.

The embarrassing defeat urged under-fire Al-Badri to resign as Ahli manager before Zizo succeeded him on a temporary basis.

"We are looking to win the match in order to move to a higher spot in the league table," Belal said.

"Our victory over Masri (their first top-flight one) in the last match has given us a lot of confidence, and another win over Ahli will definitely help us redeem ourselves."