Ahly announced on Saturday that they have agreed to release their midfielder Abdel-Hamid Shabana for Egyptian Premier League newcomer Beni Suef Telephones on loan for two years. The newly promoted side will pay the champions a loan fee of LE1.5 million.

The Cairo giants also agreed to loan their midfielder Ahmed Shokri to the Telephones for one year for LE900.000.

The 25-year-old Shabana, who joined Ahly two years ago from Ghazl El-Mehalla, was close to wearing the Ittihad El-Shorta jersey next season before the Upper Egypt outfit snatched his signature from under their noses.

Early this month, Ahly football director, Sayed Abdel-Hafiz, asserted that the management will punish midfielder Abdel-Hamid Shabana for a lack of discipline following the player's absence from training.