The next installment of the fierce Cairo Derby, considered Africa’s greatest rivalry, between Al Ahly and Zamalek will take place next month in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
For just the second time, the two long-established footballing foes will meet in the CAF Super Cup, a match that pits against one another the winners of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup against each other. Silverware might be at stake, but bragging rights are often much more valuable.
It’s a rivalry that transcends Egypt, and it’s fitting that Saudi Arabia plays host to the next one given the impact so many from both sides of the divide have had across the years in the Roshn Saudi League.
So many of that legends that have played their part in the storied confrontation, whether in the red of Al Ahly or white of Zamalek, have graced the green pitches of the Saudi top flight, each adding their own flavour to the RSL.
Whether that’s graceful goalscorers, or hard-nosed defenders, they’ve all added to the beautiful tapestry of the RSL. Some have even written their names in the record books for ever, leaving an indelible mark on the clubs at which they’ve played.
One of those is Tarek Hamed, the no-nonsense midfielder who spent eight years at Zamalek between 2014 and 2022, who has continued his career the past two seasons in the RSL with both Al Ittihad and Damac.
Hamed, a 58-time Egyptian international, etched his name into the history books at Zamalek, helping the club to three Egyptian league titles, five Egyptian Cups, two Egyptian Super Cups, plus one of each of the CAF Confederation Cup and CAF Super Cup.
Revered by the fans, he made a similar impact at Al Ittihad in a solitary season in Jeddah, earning himself a special place in the fans’ hearts for his tireless work in midfield. It concluded with him playing his part in the club sealing a drought-breaking RSL title in 2022-23 – Al Ittihad’s first in nine seasons.
As fate would have it, Hamed will come up against an old Cairo Derby sparring partner in the opening round of the 2024-25 RSL season this week, when Damac host Al Khaleej: the visitors to Khamis Mushait have on their books former Al Ahly striker Mohamed Sherif.
The 28-year-old Sherif was the leading scorer in the Egyptian Premier League back in 2020-21, with 21 goals across the campaign, finishing his time with the Cairo club with an impressive 41 goals in 88 league matches.
His record against Hamed in the Cairo Derby was equally impressive. In the three games they played against each other, Sherif’s Al Ahly never lost, while Sherif managed to score three goals across those three contests.
Al Khaleej secured a point late on through Sherif's magical footwork 🤩 🥳#yallaRSL pic.twitter.com/MycesWiMkl
— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) May 16, 2024
The ledger between them last season in the RSL, however, was all square, with Damac and Al Khaleej both collecting wins, while Sherif failed the find the net in either encounter.
It’s a blemish he will be looking to correct when Al Khaleej travel south this week – they face one another on Friday, on Matchweek 1’s second round of fixtures - where the former Egyptian teammates go head-to-head again.
However, Hamed and Sherif are only two of a number of Egyptian greats to light up the RSL over the past few decades. Egypt’s squad for the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018 featured five players who were at the time playing their club football in the RSL, all of whom came from one side of the Cairo divide. It was fitting, therefore, that both nations were drawn in Group A.
Joining Hamed in that Egyptian squad was Ahmed Hegazi, his future Al Ittihad teammate.
Hegazi spent two seasons at Al Ahly before swapping Egypt for the English Premier League, where he played with West Bromwich Albion, but the 83-time Egypt international is considered one of the modern greats of Egyptian football. He joined Al Ittihad in 2020, initially on loan, and captained the club to their breakthrough RSL title in 2022-23, alongside Hamed.
“I am proud to have been part of the history of this prestigious club,” Hegazi wrote on Instagram after his departure from Al Ittihad last month, having signed for NEOM SC in the First Division League. “Achieving the league [title] is one of the best moments in my career. Goodbye, my family and I will always remain fans of the club.”
Some of the other legends to feature in the RSL include two of the top 10 all-time appearance holders for Al Ahly: Essam El Hadary and Emad Moteab. Between them, they amassed almost 750 matches playing for the team named by CAF as the African Club of the Century.
Moteab featured through the 2008-09 season with Al Ittihad, helping them to the league title, while El Hadary, the national-team captain when Egypt and Saudi met at the FIFA World Cup Russia 2018, spent the 2017-18 campaign at Al Taawoun.
Meanwhile, Mahmoud Kahraba is one of several players brave enough to switch allegiances having played for both Al Ahly and Zamalek – with a two-year stint at Al Ittihad sandwiched between.
On the other side, Zamalek legend Shikabala, with an accolade list as long as his arm, had a season in the RSL with Al Raed in 2017-18, while left-back Mohamed Abdel Shafy stayed somewhat longer: his stint in Saudi Arabia lasted five years, with both Al Ahli and Al Fateh.
He was part of the Al Ahli side who ended a 31-year wait by lifting the 2015-16 RSL title, establishing himself as an icon of Al Ahli in Jeddah as much as he is with Zamalek in his native country.
They are but some of the players to have left their mark on the RSL over the years. All eyes, therefore, will be on the Kingdom Arena when Al Ahly and Zamalek meet again next month for the latest episode of this ferocious rivalry.
Before then, however, we’ll get a little taste of what’s in store this weekend, as Hamed and Sherif renew their own personal head-to-head at Damac Club Stadium on Friday.
