On the final day of the season, Zamalek captured the 2026 Egyptian Premier League title, defeating Ceramica Cleopatra 1-0 on Wednesday night 20 May.
In only the eighth minute, striker Oday Dabbagh made the most out of a defensive blunder, ramming home the winning goal.
Though Zamalek needed just one point to capture the crown, they got two more with the Dabbagh winner plus a timely penalty stop by Mohamed Awwad in the 56th minute to preserve the lead.
It was a hotly contested three-way race that went down to the wire. Any of the three – Zamalek, Pyramids or Ahly – could have won the title on the last day and although they all won their respective matches, it was Zamalek who prevailed at the end.
The final standings: Zamalek finished with 56 points, Pyramids at 54 and defending champions Ahly 53.
On the way to their 15th league triumph and first since 2022, Zamalek not only defeated Ceramica but had to contend with multiple problems that would have decimated other teams.
They were hit with a staggering 18 separate FIFA transfer bans this season alone due to unpaid dues and financial disputes as the club grappled with severe economic crises.
The total number of bans included several routine three-window transfer blocks spanning from late 2025 through May 2026.
The restrictions were primarily tied to outstanding financial obligations, including unresolved disputes with former players, coaches and other clubs.
The accumulation of these overlapping bans prohibits the Cairo giants from registering any new signings until they settle debts reported to be over $6 million.
Early this month, FIFA announced it would bar the club from registering players for three transfer windows as the number of cases against the Cairo side rose.
They also churned through three coaches this season, starting with Yannick Ferreira of Belgium who lasted from July until November 2025. Then came Ahmed Abdel-Raouf, appointed interim coach from November to December 2025, then finally settled on Motamed Gamal, who took the helm from January 2026 all the way to the title.
They also had to pull themselves up in a hurry from the devastating loss of the African Confederation Cup to USM Alger, the Algerian squad that beat Zamalek in the final after a marathon penalty shootout in Cairo Stadium on 15 May, just five days before the final league matches. The loss shattered Zamalek’s hopes of winning for the third time the continental trophy which, while not the biggest African tournament in club football, is a title worth winning, especially this year with the winner pocketing a record $4 million. Zamalek received $2 million.
The loss to USM Alger, as painful as it was, was not the only defeat suffered by Zamalek. Despite losing just four times in 26 matches in the league, two of those defeats were against their forever crosstown rivals Ahly who did a hat-trick on them, beating them in the league 2-1 and 3-0, plus a 2-0 win in the Egyptian Super Cup.
Considering that the Ahly-Zamalek encounters are the most famous derby in Egypt and the rest of the Arab world, the trio of defeats were embarrassing and partly led to the climactic season finale.
From the get-go, it looked like this was not going to be Zamalek’s year. Just as the season was starting in August last year, the Egyptian government reclaimed land from the club. The Ministry of Housing confiscated an unused, long-delayed plot of land in 6th of October City after Zamalek failed to complete planned development projects despite multiple extensions and warnings.
The disputed plot, located in Hadayek October in 6th of October City, was originally allocated to Zamalek in 2003. In 2021, the Egyptian presidency granted the club a final two-year grace period to build on the property. However, after another missed deadline, the Housing Ministry officially confiscated the land on 19 August 2025.
While the loss of the land was not necessarily football-related, the controversy portended unsavory things to come.
Seeing such adversity, it’s unfathomable how Zamalek managed to stay ahead most of the season, win the league title or even get close to it. They had lost three of their best players – winger Ahmed Zizo, midfielder Emam Ashour and Moroccan winger Achraf Bencharki – to their next door nemesis Ahly, winners of three league crowns on the trot and who, along with Pyramids, had more financial clout and were brimming with stars.
But Zamalek defied logic and showed steely resolve when it counted most.
On the field, they primarily utilised a dynamic 4-3-3 tactical format which allowed the squad to balance a fluid, possession-based offense with a defensively robust midfield.
Although only three Zamalek players are on Egypt’s national team that are going to the World Cup next month, the squad found a cohesion and natural rhythm that substituted for individual brilliance.
That chemistry, where you’d think there should have been none, was best exemplified by three attacking foreign imports from three continents who seemed joined at the hip: the diminutive, stocky Brazilian Juan Bezerra who lacked the flair of his countrymen but was a deadly winger with a knack for goals; Angolan Chico Banza, a left winger with tremendous pace; and Palestinian forward Dabbagh whose insurance goal against Ceramica sealed the deal.
The defensive line was no less important, as captain of the team Omar Gaber, Ahmed Fattouh, Hossam Abdel-Meguid and Mahmoud Bentayg anchored the backline. They, along with goalkeeper Al-Mahdi Suleiman, kept opposing offences at bay, allowing just 17 goals while recording 17 clean sheets.
The team also relied heavily on their veteran Abdullah Al-Said, 40, who launched their offensive moves from midfield with elegant passing.
The whole show was orchestrated by coach Gamal, 52, who more than once served as a caretaker manager but who had never experienced prolonged bright lights at such high intensity before. But he exhibited a calming presence, at least on the sidelines, as the team inched closer and closer to the title.
Zamalek also had a faithful fan base who flooded the stadiums as the title bid looked increasingly within reach. They were given the perfect gift as the Eid Al-Adha begins.
Most people would have been forgiven for not giving Zamalek much of a chance at the start of the season. The obstacles the team faced were exceptionally daunting.
But Zamalek are Egypt’s new champions and they did it despite a mission that appeared not possible.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 28 May, 2026 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly.
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