Zamalek Faces the King of Draws as Moroccan Rivalry Sparks Al Ahly’s Ismailia Test

Weekend highlights in the Egyptian Premier League

Egyptian football fans are in for another round of Africa’s oldest top flight, kicking off tonight as the tenth matchday unfolds. The weekend promises drama as teams chase points and bragging rights across several venues.

Tonight’s action begins with Smouha hosting Ismaily at Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria, followed by the National Bank hosting Al Masry of Port Said at the New Suez Stadium, while Al Ittihad Alexandria takes on Arab Contractors at the Alexandria venue.

Four marquee fixtures are set for Saturday, starting with Zamalek hosting Ghazl El Mahalla at the Suez Canal Stadium, and including Tala’a El Gaish versus El Gouna at the Military Stadium.

On Sunday, Al Ahly visit Kahraba Ismailia at the Military College Stadium, with Haras El Hodoud welcoming Ceramica Cleopatra to their ground as well.

Next up, Enppi host ZED FC, and Varco collide with Wadi Degla on Sunday; Petrojet’s game with Pyramids was postponed due to the latter’s CAF involvement.

Koora FC’s preview then zooms in on the ten-terminal round’s key showdowns: Zamalek vs Ghazl El Mahalla, a match billed as a test for the league leaders who sit on 17 points after nine rounds but recently fell to an upset loss to Al Ahly. Zamalek also navigates off-field issues, including late payments and temporary loans to cover shortfalls.

Ghazl El Mahalla, coached by Alaa Abdel-Aal, sit 14th with ten points, relying on stalwarts like Yahya Zakaria and Tunisian forward Ridha Arfaoui, while Mohammed Abdul Latif Girindo and Ahmed Shoucha battle injuries ahead of the clash.

Meanwhile, Al Ahly vs Kahraba Ismailia features the defending champions aiming for a fourth straight win, with coach Emad El-Nahour at the helm and a squad yet to be fully settled due to injuries and late fitness checks. Ahly’s lineup is expected to include either Mostafa Shobier or Mohamed El Shennawy in goal, with a back line featuring Yassin Marai, Yasser Ibrahim, and Ahmed Nabil Coca. In midfield, Marwan Attia, Mohamed Ali Ben Ramadan, and Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet are charged with supplying support, while a frontline trio of Ashraf Ben Nour, Mohamed Shreef, and Hussein El Shahat look to click.

On the Moroccan note, a rare intra-Moroccan duel could emerge between Ashraf Ben Sharqi and former teammate and fellow Moroccan Mohamed Ounajm, who previously played alongside Ben Sharqi at Wydad and Zamalek. Kahraba Ismailia’s squad also includes Mohamad Al-Sayed Shika, Ali Suleiman, Islam Abdul-Naim, Karim Yahya, and Saif Alkhishab, with Raed Shahat trusted to deliver a strong performance against the Reds.

As the weekend unfolds, Koora highlights how these encounters could reshape the table and dent title ambitions, with tactical setups, injuries, and suspensions all playing a role in the outcomes. And yes, there will be drama—because in football, even the referee’s whistle has a fan club.

Punchline 1: If football were a dating app, the King of Draws would have a sparkling profile—lots of matches, very few decisive first dates. Punchline 2: Coaches draft playbooks like secret recipes; occasionally, the only thing served is a salad of substitutions and a pinch of chaos.