Egyptian Premier League

Egyptian Premier League
Founded 22 October 1948
Country  Egypt
Confederation CAF
Number of teams 18
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Egyptian Second Division
Domestic cup(s) Egypt Cup
Egyptian Super Cup
International cup(s) CAF Champions League
CAF Confederation Cup
Current champions Al Ahly (40th title)
(2017–18)
Most championships Al Ahly (40 titles)
Top goalscorer Hassan El Shazly (173 goals)
TV partners Nile Sport and ON Sport
(live matches and highlights)
Website efa.eg
2018–19 Egyptian Premier League

The Egyptian Premier League is an Egyptian professional league for Egyptian football clubs and represents the top flight of Egyptian football. The championship consists of eighteen competing teams in a home and away league system. It is currently known as the Presentation Egyptian Premier League, after the advertising company signed a sponsorship deal with the Egyptian Football Association. The league's highest attendance is 120,000 (Al Ahly vs Zamalek).[1]

Competition format and sponsorship

Competition

There are 18 clubs in the Egyptian Premier League. The Football Season lasts from August to May. During the course of the season, each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 34 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then the direct confrontation,then goal difference, and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion . If points are equal,the direct confrontation, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. The three lowest placed teams are relegated into the Division II League, and the top three teams from the three groups into the Division II league, together, are promoted in their place.

Sponsorship

The Egyptian Premier League has been sponsored since 2005. The sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. The list below details who the sponsors have been and what they called the competition:

  • 2005–07: Vodafone Egyptian Premier League.
  • 2007–11: Etisalat Egyptian Premier League.
  • 2011–14: Vodafone Egyptian Premier League.
  • 2014–present: Egyptian Premier League (Sponsored by Presentation Sports)

Media coverage

All matches are televised on the state-owned channel Nile Sport as well as ON Sport.

Christian exclusion and controversy

Christians comprise about 10-20% of Egypt's population, the majority of which are Coptic Orthodox Christians[2]. However, there is not a single Christian on any of the league's 540 roster spots, or the national team. This disparity is believed to be due to the bias against accepting young talented Christian players at the clubs' youth level throughout the national[3][4].

There have been complaints from the pro Christian group Coptic Solidarity filed to FIFA regarding the purposeful exclusion of Christians from the league, as well as their exclusion from Egypt's national team. A similar complaint was filled by Coptic Solidarity to the International Olympics Committee regarding the similar exclusion of Christians on Egypt's Olympic teams. The exclusions are cited as being systemic persecution against the Coptic Christians. Neither FIFA nor the IOC has taken action or conducted independent research to investigate these complaints[5][6].


Clubs

A total of 66 clubs have played in the Egyptian Premier League from its inception in 1948–49 up to and including the 2017–18 season. But only two clubs have been members of the Egyptian Premier League for every season since its inception. These are Al Ahly and Zamalek, meanwhile El-Ittihad and Al-Masry have been absent only for two seasons of the League since its inception.

Members for 2017–18

The following 18 clubs are competing in the Egyptian Premier League as of the 2017–18 season.

+Promoted teams (from the 2016–17 Second Division season to the Premier League)

Stadiums

Current stadiums

Stadium City Seating Capacity
Borg El Arab StadiumAlexandria86,000
Cairo International StadiumCairo74,100
Egyptian Army StadiumSuez45,000
Osman Ahmed Osman StadiumCairo35,000
El Salam StadiumCairo30,000
Fayoum StadiumFayoum20,000
Suez StadiumSuez27,000
Cairo Military Academy StadiumCairo28,500
Petrosport StadiumCairo25,000
Harras El-Hedoud StadiumAlexandria22,500
30th of June StadiumCairo30,000
El Mansoura StadiumMansura20,000
El Mahalla StadiumMahalla29,000
Ismailia StadiumIsmaïlia18,525
Port Said StadiumPort Said17,988
Asiut University StadiumAsyut16,000
Tersana StadiumGiza15,000
El-Shams StadiumCairo15,000
Alexandria StadiumAlexandria13,660
El Gouna StadiumEl Gouna13,000

List of seasons

The following table provides a summary of seasons:[7][7]

No. Season Champions
(number of titles)		 Runners-up Third place
1 1948–49 Al Ahly (1) Tersana Ismaily
2 1949–50 Al Ahly (2) Tersana Zamalek
3 1950–51 Al Ahly (3) Zamalek Al-Masry
— 1951–52
Not played due to participation in the 1952 Summer Olympics.
4 1952–53 Al Ahly (4) Zamalek Al-Masry
5 1953–54 Al Ahly (5) Zamalek Tersana
— 1954–55
Not finished due to refusal of Al Ahly to comply with
the federation's penalty of playing one match away from home.
6 1955–56 Al Ahly (6) Zamalek El Qannah
7 1956–57 Al Ahly (7) Zamalek Ismaily
8 1957–58 Al Ahly (8) Zamalek El-Olympi
9 1958–59 Al Ahly (9) Zamalek Tersana
10 1959–60 Zamalek (1) Tersana Al Ahly
11 1960–61 Al Ahly (10) Zamalek Tersana
12 1961–62 Al Ahly (11) Zamalek Tersana
13 1962–63 Tersana (1) Zamalek Al Ahly
14 1963–64 Zamalek (2) Tersana Ismaily
15 1964–65 Zamalek (3) Ismaily Tersana
16 1965–66 El Olympi (1) Zamalek Ismaily
17 1966–67 Ismaily (1) Al Ahly Tersana
— 1967–71
Not played due to the Six-Day War.
— 1971–72
Not finished due to violence during Al Ahly vs Zamalek match.
18 1972–73 Ghazl El Mahalla (1) Zamalek Ismaily
— 1973–74
Not finished due to the Yom Kippur War.
19 1974–75 Al Ahly (12) Tersana Ismaily
20 1975–76 Al Ahly (13) Ghazl El Mahalla Zamalek
21 1976–77 Al Ahly (14) Zamalek El Ittihad El Sakndary
22 1977–78 Zamalek (4) Al Ahly El-Olympi
23 1978–79 Al Ahly (15) Zamalek Ghazl El Mahalla
24 1979–80 Al Ahly (16) Zamalek Al-Masry
25 1980–81 Al Ahly (17) Zamalek Al-Masry
26 1981–82 Al Ahly (18) Zamalek El Ittihad El Sakndary
27 1982–83 El Mokawloon (1) Zamalek Al Ahly
28 1983–84 Zamalek (5) Al Ahly Ismaily
29 1984–85 Al Ahly (19) Zamalek Ismaily
30 1985–86 Al Ahly (20) Zamalek Ismaily
31 1986–87 Al Ahly (21) Zamalek Tersana
32 1987–88 Zamalek (6) Al Ahly Ghazl El Mahalla
33 1988–89 Al Ahly (22) Zamalek Ghazl El Mahalla
— 1989–90
Not finished due to preparation of Egypt for the 1990 FIFA World Cup.
34 1990–91 Ismaily (2) Al Ahly Zamalek
35 1991–92 Zamalek (7) Ismaily Ghazl El Mahalla
36 1992–93 Zamalek (8) Al Ahly Ghazl El Mahalla
37 1993–94 Al Ahly (23) Ismaily Zamalek
38 1994–95 Al Ahly (24) Zamalek Ismaily
39 1995–96 Al Ahly (25) Zamalek Ismaily
40 1996–97 Al Ahly (26) Zamalek El Mansoura
41 1997–98 Al Ahly (27) Zamalek El Mokawloon
42 1998–99 Al Ahly (28) Zamalek Ismaily
43 1999–00 Al Ahly (29) Ismaily Zamalek
44 2000–01 Zamalek (9) Al Ahly Al-Masry
45 2001–02 Ismaily (3) Al Ahly Zamalek
46 2002–03 Zamalek (10) Al Ahly Ismaily
47 2003–04 Zamalek (11) Al Ahly Ismaily
48 2004–05 Al Ahly (30) ENPPI Haras El-Hodood
49 2005–06 Al Ahly (31) Zamalek ENPPI
50 2006–07 Al Ahly (32) Zamalek Ismaily
51 2007–08 Al Ahly (33) Ismaily Zamalek
52 2008–09 Al Ahly (34) Ismaily Petrojet
53 2009–10 Al Ahly (35) Zamalek Ismaily
54 2010–11 Al Ahly (36) Zamalek Ismaily
— 2011–12
Not finished due to the Port Said Stadium riot.
— 2012–13
Not finished due to the 30th of june revolution
55 2013–14 Al Ahly (37) Smouha Zamalek
56 2014–15 Zamalek (12) Al Ahly ENPPI
57 2015–16 Al Ahly (38) Zamalek Smouha
58 2016–17 Al Ahly (39) Misr Lel Makasa Zamalek
59 2017–18 Al Ahly (40) Ismaily Al-Masry
60

Performance

Performance by club

Club Winners Runners-up Third places Winning Seasons
Al Ahly 40 11 3 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
Zamalek 12 32 9 1959–60, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1977–78, 1983–84, 1987–88, 1991–92, 1992–93, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2014–15
Ismaily 3 6 17 1966–67, 1990–91, 2001–02
Tersana 1 5 7 1962–63
Ghazl El Mahalla 1 1 5 1972–73
El Olympi 1 – 2 1965–66
El Mokawloon 1 – 1 1982–83
ENPPI – 1 2
Smouha – 1 1
Misr Lel Makasa – 1 –
Al-Masry – – 5
El Qannah – – 2
El Ittihad El Sakndary – – 2
El Mansoura – – 1
Haras El-Hodood – – 1
Petrojet – – 1

Performance by city

City Winners Club(s)
Cairo
41
 Al Ahly (40), El Mokawloon (1)
Giza
13
 Zamalek (12), Tersana (1)
Ismaïlia
3
 Ismaily (3)
El-Mahalla El-Kubra
1
 Ghazl El Mahalla (1)
Alexandria
1
 El-Olympi (1)

Doubles

Two teams have won the double of the Egyptian Premier League and the Egypt Cup.

Club Number Seasons
Al Ahly
14
 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1952–53, 1955–56, 1957–58, 1960–61, 1980–81, 1984–85, 1988–89, 1995–96, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2016–17
Zamalek
3
 1959–60, 1987–88, 2014–15

Top goalscorers

All Seasons Top Goalscorers

Season Player Club Goals
1948–49Egypt Mohamed Diab El-Attar "Diba"El Ittihad El Sakandary15
Egypt El-Sayed El-DhizuiAl-Masry
1949–50Egypt El-Sayed El-DhizuiAl-Masry13
1950–51Egypt El-bin laden El-DhizuiAl-Masry12
1952–53Egypt Ahmed MekawiAl Ahly

12

1953–54Egypt Abdel NabiTersana18
1955–56Egypt Sayed SalehAl Ahly12
1956–57Egypt Alaa El-HamoulyZamalek16
1957–58Egypt Hamdi Abdel FattahTersana19
1958–59Egypt El-Sayed El-DhizuiAl Ahly16
1959–60Egypt Hamdi Abdel FattahTersana15
1960–61Yemen Ali MohsenZamalek16
1961–62Egypt Moustafa ReyadhTersana18
1962–63Egypt Hassan El-ShazlyTersana32
1963–64Egypt Moustafa ReyadhTersana27
1964–65Egypt Hassan El-ShazlyTersana23
1965–66Egypt Hassan El-ShazlyTersana16
1966–67Egypt Ali Abo GreishaIsmaily15
1972–73Egypt Omasha OmashaGhazl El Mahalla11
1974–75Egypt Hassan El-ShazlyTersana34
1975–76Egypt Ossama KhalilIsmaily17
1976–77Egypt Ali KhalilZamalek17
Egypt Hassan ShehataZamalek
1977–78Egypt Mahmoud El KhatibAl Ahly11
1978–79Egypt Ali KhalilZamalek12
1979–80Egypt Hassan ShehataZamalek14
1980–81Egypt Mahmoud El KhatibAl Ahly11
1981–82Egypt Gamal GoudaAl-Masry8
1982–83Egypt Mahmoud El-MashaquiGhazl El Mahalla9
1983–84Egypt Ayman ShawkyKoroum8
1984–85Egypt Mohamed HazemIsmaily11
1985–86Egypt Mohamed HazemIsmaily11
1986–87Egypt Emad SolimanIsmaily11
1987–88Egypt Gamal Abdel-HameedZamalek11
1988–89Egypt Mahmoud El-MashaquiGhazl El Mahalla11
1990–91Egypt Mohamed RamadanAl Ahly14
1991–92Egypt Ahmed El-KassEl Olympi14
1992–93Egypt Ahmed El-KassEl Olympi16
1993–94Egypt Ahmed El-KassEl Olympi15
Egypt Bashir Abdel SamadIsmaily
1994–95Egypt Abdullah El-SawyEl-Qanah10
Egypt Ahmed SaryEl Ittihad El Sakandary
1995–96Egypt Mohamed Salah Abo GreishaIsmaily14
1996–97Egypt Ayman MohebEl Mansoura17
1997–98Egypt Abdul-Hamid BassiounyZamalek15
1998–99Egypt Hossam HassanAl Ahly15
1999–00Nigeria John UtakaIsmaily17
2000–01Egypt Tarek El-SaidZamalek13
2001–02Egypt Hossam HassanZamalek18
2002–03Egypt Ahmad BelalAl Ahly19
2003–04Egypt Abdel Halim AliZamalek14
2004–05Egypt Emad MoteabAl Ahly15
2005–06Egypt Mohamed AboutrikaAl Ahly18
2006–07Angola Flávio AmadoAl Ahly17
2007–08Egypt Alaa IbrahimPetrojet15
2008–09Ghana Ernest Papa ArkoTala'ea El Gaish12
Angola Flávio AmadoAl Ahly
2009–10Nigeria Minusu BubaIttihad El Shorta14
2010–11Egypt Ahmed Abd El-ZaherENPPI13
Egypt ShikabalaZamalek
2013–14Ghana John AntwiIsmaily11
2014–15Egypt Hossam SalamaEl-Dakhleya20
2015–16Egypt Hossam SalamaSmouha17
2016–17Egypt Ahmed El SheikhMisr Lel Makasaa17
2017–18Morocco Walid AzaroAl Ahly18

All Time Top Goalscorers

Last updated 1 April 2018.

No. Player Teams Goals
1 Hassan El-Shazly Tersana 176
2 Hossam Hassan Al Ahly / Zamalek / Al-Masry / Tersana / El Ittihad El Sakandary 168
3 Moustafa Reyadh Tersana 123
4 El-Sayed El-Dhizui Al-Masry / Al Ahly 112
5 Mahmoud El Khatib Al Ahly 109
6 Ahmed El-Kass El Olympi / Zamalek / El Ittihad El Sakandary 107
7 Mohamed Aboutrika Tersana / Al Ahly 105
8 Gamal Abdel-Hameed Al Ahly / Zamalek 101

References

  1. ↑ Rose, Gary (2014-09-26). "Five great football derbies of the world you may not know about – BBC Sport". Bbc.com. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
  2. ↑ "The Copts and Their Political Implications in Egypt". www.washingtoninstitute.org. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  3. ↑ Tadros, Samuel (2016-12-17). "The Actual War on Christians". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  4. ↑ "المهن المحرمة على الأقباط". البوابة نيوز. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  5. ↑ "Coptic Solidarity Urges FIFA to Investigate Discrimination Against Coptic Footballers in Egypt - Standard Newswire". www.standardnewswire.com. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  6. ↑ "Coptic Solidarity Files Complaints with the IOC and FIFA Regarding Egypt's Religious Discrimination Against Copts in Athletics". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2018-07-23.
  7. 1 2 Tarek Said ,MD. "Zamalek Sporting Club – Egyptian Football Net نادي الزمالك الرياضي و كرة القدم المصرية". Angelfire.com. Retrieved 2017-04-17.
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