It’s neither about the coach’s tactical nous nor player superiority, but rather a powerful wave of supernatural power that ensured Ahly would remain in the top echelon of Egyptian football no matter how many problems they are encountering.

Many fans of rival outfits believe so.

Ahly claimed an eighth consecutive Premier League title on Monday after brushing aside a variety of mishaps, which would have easily taken their toll on any of the team’s challengers and perhaps left them clinging to a mere African spot with their fingertips.

En route to the title, they replaced their coach, suffered the absence of many key players through injury and played poorly in the majority of matches, giving an indication they might soften their grip on power – at least for a year until they embark on a rebuilding process.

Ahly’s title rivals, including Cairo bitter foes Zamalek who extended their league drought to 10 years, were left wondering how they failed to grasp the chance to end the hegemony of the Red Devils, who looked as harmless as a fallen angel.

But maybe when you get so close to dethroning them, you find yourself in the unenviable position of stirring up a hornet’s nest.

“Everything in Egypt changes except Ahly’s superiority over Zamalek,” Amr Adeeb, a famous talk show host and a die-hard Zamalek supporter who is known for his sarcastic remarks, said on his daily show on Al-Youm channel.

“Economy changes, politics change, constitution changes, presidents come and go but Ahly remain better than Zamalek. All teams lose in the world, including Barcelona and Real Madrid, but Ahly do not.

“I don’t know the secret behind that. Is it a supernatural power?”

What went wrong?

When the final four-team mini-league phase started, Zamalek’s supporters brimmed with confidence.

It seemed the chance had finally come for Zamalek to lay their Cairo derby ghosts to rest and get the better of Ahly for the first time since 2007, with their rivals lacking a host of regular players and battling an unusual inconsistency.

But Ahly’s youngsters, including a 17-year-old playmaker likened to club great Mohamed Abou-Treika, outplayed their opponents and missed the chance to secure a more comprehensive victory than the 1-0 win they had grabbed, leaving Zamalek’s disgruntled supporters to scratch their heads as to what went wrong.

Some blamed the under-performing players, others suggested that Mido’s time as the head coach was up but many simply believed the matter was entirely out of their hands, hinting at a black magic curse which haunts the 103-year-old club.

“Mido is not to blame. Look at how many coaches we have changed over the years. There is something weird and hidden that causes all that,” said Nader Montasser, one of thousands of Zamalek fans who flooded the club’s official Facebook page with similar remarks following the derby loss.

Adeeb summed up that feeling when he famously said that the club must be paying the price of a “mistake from one of their fans during the Pharaohs’ reign thousands of years ago.”

If Zamalek are to end their 17-match win-less streak against Ahly any time soon, someone must be qualified enough to break the hoodoo.

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