2020–21_Egyptian_Premier_League
2020–21 Egyptian Premier League
Football league season
The 2020–21 Egyptian Premier League, also known as The WE Egyptian Premier League for sponsorship purposes, was the 62nd season of the Egyptian Premier League, the top Egyptian professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1948. The season started on 11 December 2020 and is concluded on 28 August 2021. Fixtures for the 2020–21 season was announced one week before the start of the competition.
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 11 December 2020 – 28 August 2021 |
| Champions | Zamalek 13th title |
| Relegated | Wadi Degla El Entag El Harby Aswan |
| Champions League[lower-alpha 1] | Zamalek Al Ahly |
| Confederation Cup[lower-alpha 2] | Pyramids Al Masry |
| Matches played | 306 |
| Goals scored | 765 (2.5 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Mohamed Sherif (21 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Pyramids 6–0 Ghazl El Mahalla (28 August 2021) |
| Biggest away win | Misr Lel Makkasa 0–5 Pyramids (25 August 2021) |
| Highest scoring | National Bank of Egypt 5–3 Misr Lel Makkasa (18 August 2021) |
| Longest winning run | 8 matches Zamalek |
| Longest unbeaten run | 19 matches Zamalek |
| Longest winless run | 14 matches El Entag El Harby |
| Longest losing run | 6 matches Misr Lel Makkasa |
← 2019–20 2021–22 → | |
The season was initially scheduled to start in July, but was delayed to November and later to December due to effects and consequence of the postponement of the previous season's conclusion due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt.[2]
Al Ahly were the defending champions, having won their 5th consecutive and 42nd overall league title in the previous season. Zamalek secured their 13th league title and their first since 2015 with two games to spare; ending Al Ahly's five-year dominance.
Eighteen teams will compete in the league - the top fifteen teams from the previous season, and three teams promoted from the Egyptian Second Division.
Teams promoted to the Egyptian Premier League
On 12 October 2020, National Bank of Egypt secured promotion for the first time in their history following a 1–1 draw with Asyut Petroleum in the final round, in which they finished the season at the top of Group A with equal points with second-placed Beni Suef, but they beat them on head-to-head points.[3]
Ghazl El Mahalla became the second team to be promoted on 13 October, after spending four years in the Second Division, as they ended their season at the top of Group C, winning in the last round 2–1 against Olympic Club, thus having a two-point lead ahead of Pharco.[4]
Ceramica Cleopatra were promoted for the first time in their history on 15 October, as they finished their season at the top of Group B, following a goalless draw with Gomhoriat Shebin in the last round, thus they were one point ahead of second-placed Petrojet.[5]
Teams relegated to the Egyptian Second Division
The first club to be relegated was Tanta, who suffered an immediate return to the Egyptian Second Division following Wadi Degla's 4–1 away win against El Entag El Harby on 28 September 2020, which assured the relegation of the El Gharbia-based side. Despite having a decent start early in the previous season, Tanta's performance was progressively worsened and eventually led the club to go on a 17-game winless run and finish on bottom of the table.[6]
The second club to be relegated was FC Masr, who also suffered an immediate return to the Egyptian Second Division following a 1–1 home draw with ENPPI on 3 October 2020 that confirmed the club's relegation. The club did not enjoy a good success in their first-ever season in top flight as they managed to win only 3 matches and conceded more goals that any other club in the league.[7]
Haras El Hodoud became the last club to be relegated on 12 October, as they lost 1–2 to Zamalek in the 33rd round; thus returning to the Second Division after only two seasons in the top tier.[8]
Venues
| Al Ahly | Aswan | Ceramica Cleopatra |
|---|---|---|
| Al Salam Stadium | Aswan Stadium | Suez Stadium |
| Capacity: 30,000 | Capacity: 20,000 | Capacity: 27,000 |
 |
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| ENPPI | El Entag El Harby | Ghazl El Mahalla |
| Petro Sport Stadium | Al Salam Stadium | Ghazl El Mahalla Stadium |
| Capacity: 16,000 | Capacity: 30,000 | Capacity: 14,564 |
 |
|
|
| El Gouna | Ismaily | Al Ittihad |
| Khaled Bichara Stadium | Ismailia Stadium | Alexandria Stadium |
| Capacity: 12,000 | Capacity: 18,525 | Capacity: 19,676 |
 |
||
| Al Masry | Misr Lel Makkasa | Al Mokawloon Al Arab |
| Borg El Arab Stadium[lower-alpha 3] | TBD[lower-alpha 4] | Osman Ahmed Osman Stadium |
| Capacity: TBD | Capacity: TBD | Capacity: 35,000 |
 |
||
| National Bank of Egypt | Pyramids | Smouha |
| Arab Contractors Stadium[lower-alpha 5] | 30 June Stadium | Alexandria Stadium |
| Capacity: TBD | Capacity: 30,000 | Capacity: 19,676 |
| Tala'ea El Gaish | Wadi Degla | Zamalek |
| Gehaz El Reyada Stadium | Petro Sport Stadium | Cairo International Stadium |
| Capacity: 20,000 | Capacity: 16,000 | Capacity: 75,000 |
|
 |
- Notes
- The 2020–21 Egyptian Premier League was not finished by the CAF deadline. As a result, the Egyptian Football Association announced that Zamalek and Al Ahly, who were at first and second place after 29 rounds respectively, would represent Egypt in the Champions League.[1]
- The 2020–21 Egypt Cup was not finished by the CAF deadline. As a result, the Egyptian Football Association announced that Al Masry and Pyramids, who were at third and fourth place after 29 rounds respectively, would represent Egypt in the Confederation Cup.[1]
- Al Masry's home stadium, Al Masry Club Stadium, will be unavailable for the 2020–21 season as it's undergoing renovation, and as a result will be required to choose another stadium to be used as their home venue for the 2020–21 season.
- Misr Lel Makkasa's home stadium, Faiyum Stadium, did not receive approval from local authorities to host the club's home matches for the 2020–21 season yet, and as a result the club might be required to choose another stadium to be used as their home venue for this season.
Personnel and kits
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Number of Matches | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Bank of Egypt |  Eid Maraziq |
Resigned | 15 October 2020[9] | Pre-season | Mohamed Youssef |
19 October 2020[10] | |
| Pyramids |  Ante Čačić |
Sacked | 1 November 2020[11] | Pre-season |  Rodolfo Arruabarrena |
||
| Ismaily |  Heron Ferreira |
Sacked | 3 Matches | 21 December 2020 | 8th | Talaat Youssef |
22 December 2020 |
| Ismaily | Talaat Youssef |
Resigned | 0 Matches | 24 December 2020 | 8th | Saafan El-Sagheer |
24 December 2020 |
| Tala'ea El Gaish | Tarek El Ashry |
Resigned | 5 Matches | 2 January 2021 | Abdel Hamid Bassiouny |
4 January 2021 | |
| Aswan | Sami El-Sheshini |
Sacked | 6 Matches | 10 January 2021 | Alaa Abdelaal |
10 January 2021 | |
| Ismaily | Saafan El-Sagheer |
Interim | January 2021 |  Dragan Jović |
29 January 2021 | ||
| Wadi Degla |  Nikodimos Papavasiliou |
Sacked | 21 January 2021 |  Mario Salas |
1 February 2021 | ||
| Ismaily | Dragan Jović |
Resigned | 18 March 2021 | Ehab Galal |
19 March 2021 | ||
| Misr Lel Makkasa | Ehab Galal |
Signed by Ismaily | 19 March 2021 | Mohamed Azima |
24 March 2021 | ||
| Wadi Degla | Mario Salas |
Sacked | 27 May 2021 | Abdul Baki Jamal |
27 May 2021 | ||
| Misr Lel Makkasa | Mohamed Azima |
Resigned | 28 June 2021 | Mohamed Abdel-Galil |
29 June 2021 | ||
| Pyramids | Rodolfo Arruabarrena |
Sacked | 1 July 2021 |  Takis Gonias |
10 January 2021 |
Foreign players
Clubs can have a maximum of four foreign players registered during the season. Clubs cannot sign foreign players unless these players have played in the first or second tier in their countries. Clubs also cannot sign any foreign goalkeepers. In addition, each club can register a player from Palestine, Syria, or the UNAF region; those players are not counted as foreign players. Also, any foreign player who holds Egyptian nationality is not considered a foreign player and will be registered as a local player. For example, Al Masry's player Mahmoud Wadi of Palestine holds both Palestinan and Egyptian nationalities, and as a result he is not registered as a foreign player.
- Players name followed with † indicates the player is playing out on loan.
- Players name followed with § indicates the player is playing for the club on loan.
- Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.
- Players name in ITALICS indicates the player has left the club during the mid-season transfer window.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zamalek[lower-alpha 1] (C) | 34 | 24 | 8 | 2 | 61 | 21 | +40 | 80 | Qualification for the Champions League |
| 2 | Al Ahly[lower-alpha 1] | 34 | 22 | 10 | 2 | 72 | 29 | +43 | 76 | |
| 3 | Pyramids[lower-alpha 1] | 34 | 13 | 16 | 5 | 51 | 37 | +14 | 55 | Qualification for the Confederation Cup |
| 4 | Smouha | 34 | 12 | 18 | 4 | 54 | 41 | +13 | 54 | |
| 5 | Al Masry[lower-alpha 1] | 34 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 44 | 38 | +6 | 50 | Qualification for the Confederation Cup |
| 6 | ENPPI | 34 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 37 | 35 | +2 | 49 | |
| 7 | Al Ittihad | 34 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 48 | |
| 8 | Tala'ea El Gaish | 34 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 41 | 37 | +4 | 42 | |
| 9 | Al Mokawloon Al Arab | 34 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 37 | 45 | −8 | 41 | |
| 10 | Ceramica Cleopatra | 34 | 8 | 15 | 11 | 41 | 46 | −5 | 39 | |
| 11 | Ismaily[lower-alpha 2] | 34 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 42 | 44 | −2 | 38 | |
| 12 | El Gouna | 34 | 8 | 14 | 12 | 36 | 41 | −5 | 38 | |
| 13 | Misr Lel Makkasa | 34 | 10 | 8 | 16 | 36 | 54 | −18 | 38 | |
| 14 | National Bank of Egypt | 34 | 6 | 17 | 11 | 39 | 44 | −5 | 35 | |
| 15 | Ghazl El Mahalla | 34 | 7 | 14 | 13 | 28 | 41 | −13 | 35 | |
| 16 | Wadi Degla (R) | 34 | 5 | 15 | 14 | 29 | 38 | −9 | 30 | Relegation to the Second Division |
| 17 | El Entag El Harby (R) | 34 | 5 | 13 | 16 | 35 | 60 | −25 | 28 | |
| 18 | Aswan (R) | 34 | 6 | 9 | 19 | 29 | 61 | −32 | 27 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-Head points; 3) Head-to-Head goal difference; 4) Head-to-Head goals scored; 5) Head-to-Head away goals scored; 6) Goal difference; 7) Goals scored.
(Note: Head-to-head record is used only after all the matches between the teams in question have been played).
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- The 2020–21 Egyptian Premier League was not finished by the CAF deadline. As a result, the Egyptian Football Association announced that Zamalek and Al Ahly, who were at first and second place after 29 rounds respectively, will represent Egypt in the 2021–22 CAF Champions League. Meanwhile, Al Masry and Pyramids FC, who were at third and fourth place after 29 rounds respectively, will represent Egypt in the 2021–22 CAF Confederation Cup.[12]
Results table
| Home \ Away | AHL | ASW | CCL | ENP | ENT | GMH | GOU | ISM | ITH | MAS | MMK | MOK | NBE | PYR | SMO | TGS | WDG | ZAM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Ahly | — | 2–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 |
| Aswan | 1–3 | — | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–4 | 0–0 |
| Ceramica Cleopatra | 0–2 | 1–1 | — | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 |
| ENPPI | 1–3 | 0–1 | 2–1 | — | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 |
| El Entag El Harby | 2–3 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | — | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–2 |
| Ghazl El Mahalla | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–3 | — | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 |
| El Gouna | 3–3 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 0–0 | — | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 0–4 | 2–0 | 0–0 |
| Ismaily | 0–2 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 3–2 | — | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 0–2 |
| Al Ittihad | 1–2 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | — | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 |
| Al Masry | 1–2 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | — | 0–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–1 |
| Misr Lel Makkasa | 1–4 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | — | 0–0 | 3–5 | 0–5 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 0–1 |
| Al Mokawloon Al Arab | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 3–2 | — | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 |
| National Bank of Egypt | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | — | 0–0 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Pyramids | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–4 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 6–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | — | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Smouha | 0–1 | 5–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–1 | — | 4–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 |
| Tala'ea El Gaish | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 1–0 | 1–2 |
| Wadi Degla | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–2 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 0–1 | — | 0–0 |
| Zamalek | 1–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | — |
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For upcoming matches, an "a" indicates there is an article about the rivalry between the two participants.
Goalkeeping
Most Cleansheets
| Rank | Player | Club | Cleansheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mohamed El Shenawy |
Al Ahly | 12 |
| Mohamed Bassam |
Tala'ea El Gaish | ||
| 3 | Mohamed Abou Gabal |
Zamalek | 10 |
| Islam Tarek |
El Gouna | ||
| Mohamed Sobhy |
Al Ittihad Alexandria | ||
| 6 | Mohamed Abdel Monsef |
Wadi Degla | 10 |
| 7 | Amr Shaaban |
Ghazl El Mahalla | 9 |
| 8 | Ahmed Masoud |
Al Masry | 8 |
| Mahmoud El Zonfouly |
National Bank of Egypt | ||
| Mahmoud Gad |
ENPPI |
Scoring
Top scorers
Assists
Top Assists
| Rank | Player | Club | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Ali Maâloul |
Al Ahly | 12 |
| 2 | Hussein El Shahat |
Al Ahly | 10 |
| Amr El Halwani |
Aswan | ||
| 4 | Mohamed Magdy Afsha |
Al Ahly | 8 |
| 5 | Ahmed Refaat |
Al Masry | 7 |
 Achraf Bencharki |
Zamalek | ||
| 7 | Ahmed Sayed Zizo |
Zamalek | 6 |
| Mostafa Fathi |
Smouha | ||
| Amr Gamal |
Tala'ea El Gaish | ||
| Abdallah El Said |
Pyramids |
| Number of teams | Governorate | Team(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 9 |  Cairo |
Al Ahly, ENPPI, El Entag El Harby, Al Mokawloon Al Arab, National Bank of Egypt, Pyramids, Tala'ea El Gaish, Wadi Degla and Zamalek |
| 2 |  Alexandria |
Al Ittihad and Smouha |
| 1 |  Aswan |
Aswan |
 Giza |
Ceramica Cleopatra | |
 Faiyum |
Misr Lel Makkasa | |
 El Gharbia |
Ghazl El Mahalla | |
 Ismailia |
Ismaily | |
 Port Said |
Al Masry | |
 Red Sea |
El Gouna |
- @EFA (August 10, 2021). "اتحاد الكرة يرسل أسماء الأندية المصرية المشاركة في بطولتي أفريقيا" [EFA sends names of Egyptian clubs participating in the Champions League and Confederation Cup next season to CAF] (Tweet) (in Arabic) – via Twitter.
- "Egypt FA suspend all football activities amid COVID-19 concerns". KingFut. 14 March 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
- "Bank Al Ahly secure historic promotion to Egyptian Premier League". kingfut.com. 12 October 2020.
- "Ghazal El-Mahalla return to Premier League after four years". kingfut.com. 13 October 2020.
- "Ceramica Cleopatra promoted to Premier League for first time in their history". kingfut.com. 15 October 2020.
- "Tanta relegated from Egyptian Premier League". KingFut. 29 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
- "FC Masr relegated from Egyptian Premier League". KingFut. 3 October 2020. Retrieved 9 October 2020.
- "Zamalek regain second place, send Haras El-Hodoud out of Premier League". Ahram online. 12 October 2020.
- "Bank Al Ahly head coach resigns after Premier League promotion". kingfut.com. 15 October 2020.
- "Bank Al Ahly appoint Mohamed Youssef as their new head coach". kingfut.com. 19 October 2020.
- "Pyramids FC confirm appointment of new head coach". kingfut.com. 1 November 2020.
- @EFA (August 10, 2021). "اتحاد الكرة يرسل أسماء الأندية المصرية المشاركة في بطولتي أفريقيا" [EFA sends names of Egyptian clubs participating in the Champions League and Confederation Cup next season to CAF] (Tweet) (in Arabic) – via Twitter.