Hamed and Dieng: carrying red-hot heat from Cairo to RSL

The last time Aliou Dieng and Tarek Hamed shared a pitch, back in November 2021, Dieng scored a long-range stunner and their respective sides played out a 5-3 classic.

It was Dieng’s team that came out on top that day, as they did in all but one of their previous encounters, as they played on either side of the fierce Cairo divide; Hamed for Zamalek and Dieng for Al Ahly.

That match, which Dieng would describe as eventually “easy” in the aftermath, ended a 25-match undefeated streak for Hamed’s Zamalek.

“It’s not my first game against Zamalek,” he said. “Every time we play against Zamalek, we try to control the match early on, which we did, so the match became easy."

The rivalry between the Egyptian giants is one of the biggest and most fierce in world football, fueled by more than a century of angst between their respective sets of fans. Its combatants, meanwhile, have long played an influential role in the development of the Roshn Saudi League, with Hamed and Dieng two of the latest stars from the enmity to make the move to the Kingdom.

And now, after coming head-to-head in the furnace-like environment of the Cairo Derby, they’ll square off again, albeit in the slightly less intense environment of the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium on Sunday.

It is there that Hamed’s Damac prepare to face Dieng’s Al Kholood in an important game for both sides as we near the one-third mark of the 2024-25 RSL.

Hamed’s presence would be a welcome boost for Damac, with the former championship-winning midfielder at Al Ittihad sidelined since August with a knee injury. But his return to full training with the team this week bodes well, and will give the hosts added bite in midfield, although it wouldn’t surprise if Hamed was used off the bench to ease him back into the action.

The Egyptian’s experience as a championship winner was seen as a major boost when he joined Cosmin Contra’s side at the start of last season. True to the faith placed in him, Hamed impressed in his debut campaign in Khamis Mushait, in which he ranked first at the club for passes completed, while he also featured high in the Damac standings for interceptions and recoveries.

In his absence, though, it’s been a season of mixed fortunes for his current employers, who are currently 10th in the table with a record of three wins, two draws and five losses. Only one of those five defeats, however, has come in their past five games.

That was the 2-1 reverse to Al Qadsiah in Matchweek 8, but outside of that, there have been impressive victories against Al Shabab and Al Wehda, and a 2-2 draw with Al Taawoun, who are impressing again after their fourth-placed finish last season.

If Damac can seal another win against Al Kholood, not only does it keep them in touch with the top half of the table, but it also edges them further away from the relegation battle.

Al Kholood, meanwhile, have found the going tough in their first ever campaign in the RSL, with a single win from 10 to start the season. But while the team has struggled for consistency, Dieng has made an impression since switching from Al Ahly.

A classic box-to-box midfielder, the 27-year-old was one of a number of headline signings for the new boys on the block, along with former Barcelona starlet Alex Collado, former AS Monaco defender Kevin N'Doram and Al Ittihad’s championship-winning goalkeeper Marcelo Grohe.

Change more recently has also taken place in the dugout, with survival specialist Noureddine Ben Zekri brought in to replace Paulo Duarte after six RSL rounds this season.

It’s understandable with so much change that it might take time for Al Kholood to click, and so it is proving. However, Dieng is doing what he can to propel his side’s fight against relegation (Al Kholood slipped into the bottom three this weekend). Through 10 rounds, he is ranked No.1 at the club for passes completed and interceptions, an illustration of his importance at both ends of the field.

Therefore, and should his old adversary return, the personal battle in midfield with Hamed will be one of several key battles that will help decide the encounter than that classic in Cairo three years ago.

The intensity of the occasion might not quite match that of the Cairo Derby - few fixtures do - but the desire to win will be no less for Hamed and Dieng as they look to navigate new challenges with Damac and Al Kholood.

For sure, Dieng would love to add another goal to his tally for this season, while Hamed will simply be hoping this one is less straightforward for his Malian counterpart.