Football in Egypt

Country| Egypt
Governing body| Egyptian Football Association
National team(s)| Men’s National Team

Club competitions

Egyptian Premier League
Egypt Cup
Egyptian League Cup
Egyptian Super Cup

International competitions

Champions League
CAF Confederation Cup
Super Cup
FIFA Club World Cup
FIFA World Cup (National Team)
Africa Cup of Nations (National Team)

Football is the most popular sport in Egypt, many Egyptians gather around to watch various Egyptian clubs and the Egyptian national football team play on an almost daily basis.[1][2][3]

Zamalek and Al Ahly are amongst the most popular in the country, both of which are based in Cairo. Both teams compete in the Egyptian Premier League, the highest tier of Egyptian football. These two teams compete in the Cairo Derby. Other notable teams include: Ismaily, Al-Masry, Al Ittihad.

## Egypt Cup

[edit]

The Egypt Cup is the oldest tournament in the history of Egyptian football that is still being held to-date. It is the first association football championship to be organized by the Egyptian Football Association. The first local football tournament in Egypt was the Sultan Hussein Cup. The first team to win the Egypt Cup was Zamalek in 1922.

Hassan Shehata lifting the Egypt Cup trophy with Zamalek in 1979

The tournament was not played between 1967 and 1971 due to the outbreak of the War of Attrition. It was also canceled in the 1973–74 season due to the outbreak of the October War. The tournament was canceled in 1979-80, 1986-87 and 1993-94 seasons due to several reasons, and was canceled in the 1981-82 edition due to Zamalek’s dispute with the Football Association. The cup was also canceled in the 2011-12 season after the Port Said Stadium riot.

## Premier League

[edit]

Main article: Egyptian Premier League

The Egyptian Premier League (League A) has eighteen teams.[citation needed] There is no official English translation or title for the Egyptian League.[citation needed] Due to Sponsorships the official name of the league is the WE Premier League. The league was also called Vodafone Premier League back in the 2006/2007 for the same reasons.[citation needed]

## National football team's achievements

[edit]

Main article: Egypt national football team

The Egypt national football team, also known under the nickname of The Pharaohs, is, as their name states, the national team of Egypt and is administered by the Egyptian Football Association. The team was founded in 1921,[4] although a team had been fielded in the 1920 Summer Olympics. Egypt participated in the 1924 Olympics, and achieved the eighth place in the 1928 Olympics.

The national football team of Egypt in the 1928 Olympics.

The team has won multiple cups over the years. They won the African Cup of Nations 7 times. Egypt won the inaugural Cup in 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008 and 2010,[5] making them record holders of most African cup wins and most wins in a row (for winning 3 times in a row).

Their highest FIFA ranking was in July 2010 where they were ranked 9th in the world, making it their greatest achievement.[4] They were the first from an African country and also, from an Arab country to participate in the World Cup when they played in 1934,[6] losing to Hungary 4-2.

Egypt played their second World Cup in 1990, where they didn't pass through the first stage after tying Ireland, Netherlands and losing to England 1-0 in what remains their last World Cup game.[citation needed]

Egypt Qualified for the 2018 World Cup which was the first time in 28 years. They were placed in Group A with hosts Russia, Uruguay and KSA. Egypt lost to Uruguay in the 90th minute and then lost 3-1 to Russia and scored the goal Mohamed Salah from a penalty in the last game against Saudi Arabia, Egypt lost 2-1 and scored the goal Mohamed Salah in the 22nd minute.[citation needed]

### Africa

[edit]

* Africa Cup of Nations

Winners (7): 1957, 1959, 1986, 1998, 2006, 2008, 2010 (Most successful team)
Runners-up (2): 1962, 2017, 2022
Third place (3): 1963, 1970, 1974
Fourth place (3): 1976, 1980, 1984

* All-Africa Games

Champions (2): 1987, 1995
Third place (1): 1973

* Afro-Asian Cup of Nations

Runners-up (2): 1988, 2007

* Nile Basin Tournament

Champions (1): 2011 (Most successful team)

### Other

[edit]

* Egypt won the 1955 Mediterranean games. They were also runners up in the 1951 tournament.[citation needed]

* Egypt's best place in the Olympics was fourth place in 1964.[citation needed]

* In 2014, Egypt was one of the eight nations to take part in the first Unity World Cup.[citation needed]

* They have won the Pan-Arab Games 4 times, the Arab Cup in 1992 and the Palestine Cup twice.[citation needed]

## Stadiums

[edit]

Main article: List of football stadiums in Egypt

Egypt has a total of 27 football stadiums spread around the country.[7] The main stadium used to be Cairo International Stadium, but when the Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria was built, it replaced it. The stadium has become the home stadium for the Egyptian National Team. This stadium carries a capacity of 86,000 which is great for all the fans who watch the Egyptian Premier League games.[8] The reason that this stadium was built was for Egypt's bid for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

The national football team of Egypt played numerous home games at the 75,000-capacity Cairo International Stadium.

Egypt has hosted 5 African Cups in 1959, 1974, 1986, 2006 and 2019. The country also hosted the 1997 U-17 World Cup and the 2009 U-20 World Cup.

# | Stadium | Capacity | Location | Home Team | Opened

|
|
|
|
|

1 | Misr Stadium | 93,940  | New Administrative Capital | Egypt football team | 2024
2 | Borg El Arab Stadium | 86,000 | Borg El Arab | Egypt football team & Al-Masry SC | 2007
3 | Cairo International Stadium | 75,000 | Cairo | Egypt football team & Al Ahly SC & Zamalek SC | 23 July 1960
4 | Egyptian Army Stadium | 45,000 | Suez | Petrojet FC | 2009
5 | Arab Contractors Stadium | 35,000 | Cairo | Al Mokawloon & FC Masr | 1979
6 | 30 June Stadium | 30,000 | Cairo | Wadi Degla SC | 2009
7 | Al-Salam Stadium | 30,000 | Cairo | El-Entag El-Harby SC | 2009
8 | Beni Ebeid Stadium | 30,000 | Bani Ebid | Beni Ebeid SC |

## Media

[edit]

Al Ahly and Zamalek leaded the top six most popular football clubs on social media from Africa on 12 October 2022:[9]

# | Football club | Country | Followers

|
|
|

1 | Al Ahly | Egypt | 33 million
2 | Zamalek | Egypt | 22 million
3 | Raja CA | Morocco | 7 million
4 | Kaizer Chiefs | South Africa | 6 million
5 | Orlando Pirates | South Africa | 4 million
6 | Simba SC | Tanzania | 4 million

## See also

[edit]

* Football in Africa portal
* Egypt portal

* Cairo League
* King's Cup
* Sultan Hussein Cup
* List of football clubs in Egypt
* Women's football in Egypt

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Mohamed El-Sayed (2004). "When life began". Ahram Weekly. Archived from the original on 21 October 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
2. ^ Youssef Hamza. "Egypt's Ultras have shown military rule the red card". The National. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
3. ^ Lavric, Eva (2008). The Linguistics of Football. BoD – Books on Demand. ISBN 9783823363989. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
4. ^ a b "Country info". FIFA World Cup. Archived from the original on June 3, 2007. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
5. ^ Aaron Ross (18 August 2012). "The man at the epicentre of Egyptian football". The National. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
6. ^ Mahfoud Amara (May–August 2014). "Sport and Political Leaders in the Arab World" (PDF). Histoire@Politique. 23. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
7. ^ "Stadiums in Egypt". Bugarri. 7 February 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
8. ^ "Stadiums in Egypt". FIFA World Cup. 3 January 2013. Archived from the original on September 26, 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2013.
9. ^ "CardBiz.ca".

## External links

[edit]

* Soccer Egypt Dot Com

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Association football in Egypt.

* v
* t
* e

Football in Egypt

Egyptian Football Association

National teams|

| Men|

* National team
* Olympic (U-23)
* U-20
* U-17

|

Women|

* National team
* U-20
* U-17

League system|

| Men|

* Premier League
* Second Division (A
* B)
* Third Division
* Fourth Division
* defunct: Second Division
* Zone League (Alexandria
* Cairo
* Canal)

|

Women|

* W-Premier League
* W-Second Division

Domestic cups|

| Men|

* Egypt Cup
* Super Cup
* League Cup
* defunct: Sultan Hussein Cup
* EFA League Cup
* Egypt's Love Cup

|

Women|

* Egyptian Women's Cup
* W-Super Cup

Awards|

* Footballer of the Year
* Top scorers

Lists|

* All-time Table
* Champions
* Clubs
* International footballers
* International all-time record
* Foreign players
* Venues

* Men's clubs
* Women's clubs
* Men's players
* Women's players
* Expatriate players
* Managers
* Referees
* Venues
* Seasons
* Records

* v
* t
* e

Football in Africa

Sovereign states|

* Algeria
* Angola
* Benin
* Botswana
* Burkina Faso
* Burundi
* Cameroon
* Cape Verde
* Central African Republic
* Chad
* Comoros
* Democratic Republic of the Congo
* Republic of the Congo
* Djibouti
* Egypt
* Equatorial Guinea
* Eritrea
* Eswatini
* Ethiopia
* Gabon
* The Gambia
* Ghana
* Guinea
* Guinea-Bissau
* Ivory Coast
* Kenya
* Lesotho
* Liberia
* Libya
* Madagascar
* Malawi
* Mali
* Mauritania
* Mauritius
* Morocco
* Mozambique
* Namibia
* Niger
* Nigeria
* Rwanda
* São Tomé and Príncipe
* Senegal
* Seychelles
* Sierra Leone
* Somalia
* South Africa
* South Sudan
* Sudan
* Tanzania
* Togo
* Tunisia
* Uganda
* Zambia
* Zimbabwe

States with limited
recognition

* Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic
* Somaliland

Dependencies and
other territories

* Canary Islands / Ceuta / Melilla (Spain)
* Madeira (Portugal)
* Mayotte / Réunion (France)
* Saint Helena / Ascension Island / Tristan da Cunha (United Kingdom)

* v
* t
* e

Egypt topics

History

| Chronology|

* Prehistoric
* Ancient
* topics
* Achaemenid
* 27th Dynasty
* 31st Dynasty
* Ptolemaic
* Battle of Actium
* Lighthouse of Alexandria
* Roman
* Diocese of Egypt
* Library of Alexandria
* Christian
* Sassanid
* Muslim
* Rashidun Caliphate
* Fustat
* Islamization
* Tulunid dynasty
* Ikhshidid dynasty
* Fatimid Caliphate
* Crusader invasions
* Ayyubid dynasty
* Mamluk Sultanate
* Mamluk
* Ottoman
* Ottoman Egypt
* Khedivate and Kingdom of Egypt
* Muhammad Ali dynasty
* Nahda
* Khedivate
* Egyptian–Ethiopian War
* Urabi revolt
* Modern
* French occupation
* Revolt of Cairo
* British occupation
* 1919 revolution
* Sultanate
* World War II
* Kingdom
* 1948 Arab–Israeli War
* Republic
* Nasser era
* 1952 Egyptian revolution
* Land reform
* Suez Crisis
* United Arab Republic
* Six-Day War
* Sadat era
* Yom Kippur War
* Egyptian–Libyan War
* Assassination of Anwar Sadat
* Mubarak era
* 2010s Crisis
* 2011 Egyptian revolution
* 2013 Rabaa massacre

|

By topic|

* Anarchism
* Capital
* Cigarette industry
* Constitution
* Copts
* Genetic
* Healthcare
* Jews
* Muslim Brotherhood
* 1928–1938
* 1939–1954
* 1954–present
* Parliament
* Population
* Postal
* Saladin
* Timekeeping devices

By city|

* Alexandria
* Cairo
* Port Said

Geography

* Biota
* Borders
* Cities
* Climate
* Deserts
* Earthquakes
* Environmental issues
* Fossils
* Geology
* Halfaya Pass
* Islands
* Lakes
* Mountains
* Mount Sinai
* Nile Delta
* Northern coast
* Oases
* Qattara Depression
* Red Sea Riviera
* Rivers
* Nile
* Sinai Peninsula
* Suez Canal
* Towns and villages
* Wadis
* Wildlife

Politics

* Administrative divisions
* Governorates
* Civil Code
* Corruption
* Conscription
* Constitution
* Elections
* Foreign relations
* Missions
* Islamic extremism
* Judiciary
* Law enforcement
* Massacres
* Military
* Supreme Council
* Nationality law
* Parliament
* Passport
* Political parties
* President
* list
* Prime Minister
* list
* Proposed new capital
* Refugees of the Syrian civil war
* Terrorism
* Terrorism and tourism
* Twin towns and sister cities

Economy

* Agriculture
* Banking
* National Bank
* Companies
* Economic regions
* Egyptian stock exchange
* Egyptian pound
* Energy
* Entrepreneurship policies
* Fishing
* Impact on the environment
* Lighthouses
* Military industry
* Mining
* Mines
* Nuclear program
* Power stations
* Aswan Dam
* Role of the Egyptian Armed Forces
* Tallest buildings
* Telecommunications
* Internet
* Tourism
* Cultural tourism
* Transport
* Airlines
* Airports
* Railway stations
* Water supply and sanitation
* Water resources management

Society

| General|

* Abortion
* Animal welfare
* Billionaires
* Cannabis
* Capital punishment
* Censuses
* Corruption
* Crime
* Human trafficking
* Mass sexual assault
* Rape
* Demographics
* Diaspora
* Education
* Academic grading
* Law schools
* Medical schools
* Schools
* Universities
* Families
* Abaza family
* Feminism
* Gender inequality
* Health
* Healthcare
* Hospitals
* Housing
* Human rights
* Freedom of religion
* LGBT rights
* International rankings
* Languages
* Egyptian Arabic
* Saʽidi Arabic
* Sign Language
* Liberalism
* Literature
* Prostitution
* Religion
* Baháʼí
* Blasphemy law
* Christianity
* Catholic dioceses
* Coptic Churches
* Hinduism
* Identification card controversy
* Irreligion
* Islam
* Ahmadiyya
* Mosques
* Niqāb
* Judaism
* Synagogues
* Scientology
* Smoking
* Units of measurement
* Vehicle registration plates
* Waste management
* Women

|

Culture|

* Architecture
* Art (ancient)
* Art (contemporary)
* Botanical gardens
* Castles
* Cinema
* Coat of arms
* Cuisine
* Beer
* Wine
* Films
* Flag
* list
* regions
* Football
* Football clubs
* Football stadiums
* Egyptians
* Mass media
* Magazines
* Newspapers
* Radio
* TV
* Museums
* Music
* National anthem
* Olympics
* Public holidays
* World Heritage Sites

* Category
* Portal
* WikiProject
* Commons

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template