 After his success in Belgium with Gent, Mido signed a five-year contract with Eredivisie team Ajax in 2001. He suffered a concussion during their UEFA Cup match with Limassol, after colliding with a defender. He made his return for the team against Heerenveen, a match which Ajax lost 5 – 1. However, he was sent off against Twente, after kicking Spira Grujić whilst trying to beat him to the ball, for which he was later given a three-match ban. He returned for Ajax against Vitesse, coming on as a substitute in the 75th minute. He failed to be selected for the substitutes bench against Feyenoord in March 2002, which was due to a minor clash with manager Ronald Koeman, and Mido left for a short vacation in Cairo. Mido scored in Ajax's victory over Utrecht in the KNVB Cup final, meaning he ended the 2001 – 02 season with the Dutch League and Cup double.
