The Egyptian Football Association, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, and the United Sports Company set up the unique final that will pit the Arab world’s most famous football club match-up, reports Alaa Abdel-Ghani.
Yasser Al-Misehal, president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF), expressed his enthusiasm for hosting major sporting events such as the Egypt Cup, highlighting the “fruitful cooperation and harmony among all sectors of the kingdom to ensure the success of these significant sports events.”
Vice President of United Sports Company Saif Al-Waziri said the importance of the Egypt Cup lies in it not just being the oldest football competition in Egypt but from its heritage and the fact it bears Egypt’s name.
“And now this tournament has come to be held outside Egyptian borders,” Waziri noted, “like many other international tournaments, to meet public demand and achieve exceptional commercial revenues that benefit the federations and clubs and become a major event within Saudi Arabia.”
Chairman of the board of directors of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia Turki Al-Sheikh said in an interview with Egyptian TV MBC Misr that the match “will be a joint broadcast between Egypt and Saudi Arabia”.
He added that there will be a huge studio for the event, with celebrations “as the match will be a major event with surprises ahead,” and will be accompanied by a series of exciting events and activities.
The game is set to take place at Riyadh’s Al-Awwal Park Stadium that can seat 25,000.
Ahly are defending the title after beating Pyramids FC 2-1 last year.
Zamalek last won it in 2021 when they beat Ahly 2-1.
To reach this year’s final, defending champions Ahly blanked Enppi 3-0 in the semi-finals in October last year.
Zamalek secured their spot in the Egypt Cup final after beating Pyramids FC 4-3 on penalties in November 2023 following an exciting 3-3 draw in a thrilling 120-minute encounter.
A win by Zamalek would give their new Portuguese coach Jose Gomes his first trophy with the team even though he took over just last month.
The Egypt Cup is Egypt’s oldest football tournament, and is the oldest club competition in the rest of Africa and the Arab world.
The first team to win the trophy was Zamalek in 1922.
Ahly have won the most Egypt Cups with 38. Zamalek are second with 28.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 7 March, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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