Any meeting between Egypt and Saudi Arabia on the pitch is a big deal and that will be the case when Zamalek and Al-Hilal clash on Friday in the Lusail Super Cup in Qatar.
For this summit between the club champions of two major Arab leagues, one from Asia and one from Africa, traffic in downtown Doha will be regulated, extra trains will be laid on, and the international community will be watching to see how the World Cup hosts stage such a game just two months out from the start of Qatar 2022.
This version of the Saudi-Egyptian Super Cup, which was held three times previously in 2001, 2003 and 2018, and won twice by Zamalek, may be a dress rehearsal for World Cup games (including the final which will take place at the same 80,000-capacity stadium) but that will be the last thing on the minds of the two teams.
Both want a win, especially Al-Hilal. This is an opportunity for the Riyadh giants to put something to bed after events of earlier this year when they, as champions of Asia, met Al-Ahly, the champions of Africa, at the FIFA Club World Cup. It didn’t go well for Asia and while it was little noticed elsewhere on the continent, it was a big deal in Saudi Arabia.
Al-Hilal lost 4-0 to Al-Ahly on a dismal afternoon in Abu Dhabi. They were two goals down inside the first 20 minutes, and two men down inside the first 30 minutes as Matheus Pereira and Mohamed Kanno were sent off. Two days later, coach Leonardo Jardim was fired despite the fact that the Portuguese boss had steered the team to a record fourth Asian title less than three months earlier. Friday then is a chance to defeat Zamalek, Egypt’s other superpower and Al-Ahly’s bitter Cairo rivals, and restore some regional pride.
The Saudi Arabians have changed in some respects since that February clash. For a start, Ramon Diaz quickly replaced Jardim. Fans at the time were not that thrilled by the appointment of the Argentine and, as they were 16 points behind Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Professional League, it is safe to say that few expected an 18th title. Yet something special happened. The Blues won 12 out of the last 13 games, including two memorable victories over Al-Ittihad and they ended up lifting the trophy on the final day of the season in June, a third championship in a row.
There have been a few issues since. The Asian champions were unable to strengthen during the summer due to a punishment handed down over the Mohamed Kanno situation when the midfielder signed a contract with two clubs. One positive thing this week is that the all-action international will be allowed to play and he really should be desperate to show what he can do.
So far this SPL season, which started in August, there have been three wins from three games, five goals scored and none conceded. The champions may not have reached top gear yet but are looking ominous.
“We have not been perfect so far,” Diaz said last week. “Al-Hilal are known for sometimes starting slowly but we are looking to get as many points on the board as we can before the league stops for the World Cup and we are confident that we will improve as the season continues.”
Diaz knows a little about Egyptian football after spending three months in charge of Pyramids FC in 2019, when he came up against current Zamalek coach Jesualdo Ferreira and won.
“I am looking forward to playing against such a big team in a big game and we want to take the trophy home,” he added. South Korean defender Jang Hyun-soo is still yet to return from injury but fullback Yasser Al-Shahrani should be ready to make his first start.
Five-time African champions Zamalek arrive in Qatar fresh after winning the Egyptian Premier League for the 14th time last month by six clear points. Since then they lost midfielder Tarek Hamed to Al-Hilal’s domestic rivals Al-Ittihad as well as Moroccan winger Achraf Bencharki to UAE powerhouse Al-Jazira. Coach Ferreira does have two new signings however. Moroccan midfielder Zakaria El-Wardi has joined from Raja Casablanca and Senegalese winger Ibrahima Ndiaye has come from Swiss club Luzern.
Zamalek president Mortada Mansour has told the players that glory awaits, invoking the clash between the two teams in 2018 when the White Knights went to Riyadh and came away with a 2-1 victory.
“You succeeded before in achieving a victory over Al-Hilal, and you are heroes, and everyone is waiting for you to win, and you have to make the fans happy,” he said.
That could well happen for Zamalek but if Al-Hilal can come back with a trophy, it will also go a long way to erasing memories of that harrowing February day and the last time they met Egyptian opposition.