Mahmoud El Hareedy Earns Professional Status with All-Africa Crown
Mahmoud El Hareedy defeated Yassine Bellamine 6-1 in the final of the 2025 All-Africa Snooker Championship in Saïdia, Morocco to earn a two-year World Snooker Tour (WST) tour card.
The Egyptian cueist came through a field of 50 players from across the continent to win the prestigious title and secure professional status for the first time in his career.
Organised by the African Billiards & Snooker Confederation (ABSC), the event was staged at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Saïdia, Morroco and featured Seniors, Women’s and Six-Red events in addition to the main competition which offered a two-year WST tour card to the winner.
El Hareedy, who has previously competed on the WPBSA Q Tour Middle East series and also faced former world champion Stuart Bingham at the 2023 Six-Red World Championship, comfortably topped his initial five-player group to reach the knockout stages as the top seed.
Victories over Mohamed Amin (4-0) and Mohamed Ibrahim (4-1) saw El Hareedy set up a quarter-final meeting with Mutalieb Allie, to whom he had been defeated in the final of the All-Africa Six-Red Championship earlier in the week.
The Egyptian exacted his revenge at the perfect time, however, earning a 5-1 win before overcoming Matour Reda 6-2 to reach the title match in Saïdia.
There he faced Morocco’s Bellamine, who had defeated former professional Mostafa Dorgham 6-1 in the last four to reach the final in his home nation as he also aimed to join the WST for the first time.
El Hareedy was the dominant player in the best-of-11 frame final as he raced into a 4-0 lead and ultimately ran out a 6-1 victor to earn the prestigious continental crown.
Seniors Glory for Mohamed Samy Elkhayat
Mohamed Samy Elkhayat overcame Mohamed Alaa Khairy 5-4 in the final of the 2025 All-Africa Seniors Championship to earn an invitation to the 2026 World Seniors Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre.
Elkhayat, from Egypt, came through a field of 22 players from Africa to win the Seniors crown and earn the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing at the sport’s most iconic venue next May.
The Egyptian qualified for the knockout stages by finishing second place in a group that also featured the Moroccan duo of Said Machal and Idriss El Mokri as well as Mahomed Idrisse from Mozambique.
A deciding frame victory over Rabi Younes followed in the last 16 before more comfortable success against Ahmed Galal (4-0) and newly-crowned All-Africa Six-Red champion Allie Mutalieb (4-1) saw Elkhayat book his place in the final.
Former professional Khairy, who lost in the final of the main competition 12 months ago, was the opponent in the title match after he had beaten Mahjoub Tawdi in the semi-finals.
The final was a hard-fought contest that came down to a deciding frame but, ultimately, it was Elkhayat who was able to get over the line to earn the title.
Yousra Matine Wins Women’s Championship
Yousra Matine defeated Loubna Lazim 4-3 to win the 2025 All-Africa Women’s Championship on home soil in Saïdia, Morocco.
Matine, who is a former gold medalist at the 2019 African Games, won all of the seven matches she contested in her home country to secure the prestigious continental crown.
After topping her group with a clean sweep of victories, she then downed Saloua Tiane (3-0) and Hind Bennani (3-1) to reach the final where she faced compatriot Lazim.
The match between the two Moroccan cueists went right down to the wire but it was Matine who was able to win the vital seventh and deciding frame to secure the title.
Six-Red Success for Mutalieb Allie
Mutalieb Allie beat Mahmoud El Hareedy 6-4 to claim the 2025 All-Africa Six-Red Championship title in Morocco.
A total of 48 players contested the event and Allie topped his group before overcoming Rabie Chami (4-2), Arjun Lavingia (5-4), Yassine Bellamine (5-0) and Hesham Abdelaziz (6-2) to reach the title match in Saïdia.
El Hareedy, who would be crowned the All-Africa Snooker Championship winner later in the week, was his opponent in the final after he had downed Mina Awad 6-3 at the semi-final stage.
South African national champion Allie proved to be the stronger player at the vital stage as he ran out a 6-4 victor in the final to lift the trophy.
