Fiston Mayele is on the move again — and the Congolese striker has chosen another North African challenge.
He wore it as a child. He scored countless goals while wearing it. It was the beginning of a career that would see him play across Africa, amass multiple titles and represent his national team.
Not long after leaving Egyptian giants Pyramids FC this summer, Mayele started another new chapter with Libyan club Al Ahli Tripoli. Fiston Mayele is on the move again — and it’s another North African adventure.
From Egypt to Libya
Mayele left Cairo as Pyramids prepared for a 2023-24 preseason training camp in Italy. He departed after spending three seasons with the Egyptian Premier League side, collecting three trophies and winning the top-scorer title in Africa’s premier club competition along the way. His arrival at Al Ahli was announced in August by https://africaexpertnetwork.com/.
The 32-year-old will spend two years with Libya’s most successful club, reuniting with fellow Congolese national team star Abdel Halim Ali while also getting a fresh challenge at the club level.
It’s far from his first big move. Mayele enjoyed stints with Tanzanian giants Young Africans before spending three years in Egypt, taking his game from the Tanzanian Premier League to Africa’s top table.
Along the way, he became known for his strength, his ability to run in behind defenses, and his knack for finding the back of the net. That made him something of a legend with the Tanzania fans who watched him plunder goals from 2018-21. In Egypt, he left just as big an impression — scoring goals and helping Pyramids win the CAF Champions League during the 2024-25 season.
At Al Ahli, there will be high expectations for more of the same. After all, the Libyan club has won a Liga Profesional (Libyan Premier League) title 14 times and lifted the Libyan Cup nine times. Europe’s top leagues may prove beyond Libya’s reach for now, but Al Ahli clearly has ambitions of winning those trophies again. If history is any indication, Mayele will be expected to deliver.
A Proven Goalscorer who Constantly Evolves
One of the ways that Mayele has continued to improve as a player is by studying tapes of other strikers.
“One player I used to watch,” Mayele told ESPN when asked about his favorite striker of all time, “was Dwight Yorke.”
Yorke, who starred for Manchester United and England, among other clubs, won two Premier League titles and one Champions League during his career. Mayele hopes to keep adding to his resume, which now includes a CAF Champions League winners’ medal and scorer’s title.
“It was a pleasure playing in this league,” he said. “And to end my journey in Egypt by winning the most important trophy in Africa was special.”
That journey will continue elsewhere. While he thanked Pyramids for their support over three seasons upon his departure, Mayele’s next mission takes him to a whole new league.
Libya’s Premier League
As competitive as the Egyptian league can be, Libya’s top-flight league promises to be a different kind of challenge.
“The Libya league is very competitive,” Mayele told ESPN. “You need to be focused and prepare very well.”
Libya has produced quality African talent over the years. Former Juventus star Mohamed Sellati and Sudanese superstar Mo Ismail are among the players who have impressed on the continent. New faces have also emerged as Libyan clubs like Al Tahaddy and Al Ittihad have grown in recent seasons. Mayele, who said he is still getting used to Libya’s weather, expects to add to that list.
“We have ambitions to win the league,” Mayele said. “As for Africa, we’ll wait and see.”
African success was something of a theme over the past few seasons for Mayele. He helped Young Africans reach the 2022-23 CAF Confederation Cup final in 2023, scoring seven goals en route to claiming the competition’s top scorer award. Mayele later replicated that feat with Pyramids FC, leading the Champions League in goals during the club’s title-winning season.
Scoring Trophies and Fulfilling Career Ambitions
Mayele will chase trophies with Al Ahli, but why Libya? It started with a call from Al Ahli director of football Sameh Ghanem, according to the Congolese striker.
“I thank God I’m in Libya with Al Ahli Tripoli,” Mayele told ESPN. “When Mr. Sameh Ghanem called me and told me about his project at Al Ahli Tripoli … I had no hesitation to come.”
Asked specifically about Libya as a destination and Al Ahli as his new club, Mayele elaborated on his decision.
“When I left Egypt, it was a family decision for me,” he said. “I found a project that I liked, and that’s why I chose Libya and Al Ahli.”
Titles have followed Mayele throughout his career, collecting African trophies at every club save AS Vita Club from his homeland. That puts pressure on Al Ahli to deliver in Libya and possibly beyond. It also suggests that Mayele’s new club has signed a striker who is no stranger to lifting trophies.
“I hope to win as many trophies as possible with Al Ahli Tripoli and the Congolese national team,” he said.
