The Egyptian Premier League has a two-month delay from its normal schedule as the previous season just ended by the end of August.
Action will unfold in Alexandria's stadiums as Haras El-Hodoud hosts Smouha SC, and Talae El-Geish clashes with Masry in the inaugural matchday of the domestic tournament.
The EPL hopes to shorten the season, throughout this transitional format, to end on 30 May.
On Thursday the season kicks off with two games as Gouna will confront ZED FC, while Modern Sport FC plays host to Enppi.
Cairo giants Zamalek are slated to take on NBE Club, while runners-up Pyramids FC will engage with Petrojet on Friday.
Defending champions Ahly will commence their title defense against Ceramica Cleopatra on Saturday, marking the end of the first matchday.
Lack of key player signings
The summer transfer window leading up to the 2024/2025 Egyptian Premier League season saw a dearth of high-profile player acquisitions, attributed to the delayed conclusion of the previous season in August.
Ahly made four signings during the summer, notably securing Moroccan left-back Yahia Attiyat Allah on a one-year loan from Russian side PFC Sochi.
Additionally, they acquired defender Yousef Aymen on a one-season loan from Qatari outfit Al-Duhail, as well as defenders Omar El Saaiy and Achraf Dari from French club Brest on four-year deals.
Zamalek bolstered their squad with the addition of forward Omar Faraj from AIK, left winger Mohamed Hamdi from Enppi, and defender Djeferson Costa from Portugal's Castelo Branco.
The Whites also welcomed Senegalese forward Sidy Ndiaye, Polish winger Konrad Michalak, and Moroccan defender Mahmoud Bentayg on free transfers.
Pyramids FC, the league runners-up, made minimal signings, including Nigerian winger Sodiq Awujoola on loan from Ceramica Cleopatra, Zamalek's midfielder Youssef Obama on a free transfer, and winger Abdelrahman Magdi from Ismaily.
Upsides and risks of the new format
The introduction of the new format for the Egyptian Premier League has sparked mixed reactions from teams, with some expressing concerns regarding equal opportunities for all participants.
Ehab El-Koumi, a member of the Egyptian Football Association, revealed that several clubs, including Ittihad of Alexandria, Gouna, Enppi, Petrojet, Pharco FC, and Smouha, opposed the new format.
"I am against the new format as it may impact us technically. Teams participating in continental competitions benefit financially, while others are disadvantaged," remarked Smouha coach Ahmed Sami during a television appearance last July.
In contrast, representatives from Ahly, Zamalek, and Pyramids FC have endorsed the new format, viewing it as a means to conclude the league promptly and provide players with necessary rest.
The league will now adopt a single-round format involving all 18 clubs, with the top nine advancing to compete for the title while the rest contend to avoid relegation.
Notably, the number of relegation places has been reduced from three to two, shortening the season from 34 to 25 weeks and concluding on 6 June, 2025.
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