Egyptian Premier League draw sets Zamalek-Al Ittihad opener

The 2026-27 Egyptian Premier League will begin on 21 August, with Zamalek hosting Al Ittihad Alexandria at Cairo International Stadium in one of the headline fixtures from the opening round.

The first round will be played across three days, from Friday 21 August to Sunday 23 August, following the league draw held on Wednesday. The draw also included arrangements for the Egypt Capital Cup.

On Friday, Wadi Degla will face ZED at Al Salam Stadium, while Abu Qir Fertilizers will play National Bank of Egypt at Alexandria Stadium. Zamalek’s meeting with Al Ittihad Alexandria completes the opening-day schedule.

Saturday’s fixtures are Tala’ea El Gaish against El Mokawloon at Gehaz El Reyada Stadium; Asyut Petroleum against M. El Suez Petrojet at Asyut Cement Stadium; Ghazl El Mahalla against Pyramids FC at Ghazl El Mahalla Stadium; and Al Masry against Smouha at New Suez Stadium.

The final three matches of the opening round will be played on Sunday. El Gouna will take on Modern Sport at Khaled Bashara Stadium, Ceramica Cleopatra will meet El Qanah at Suez Canal Authority Stadium, and Al Ahly will play El Sharkia Enppi at Cairo International Stadium.

The competition schedule was outlined by Taha Ezzat, chairman of the competitions committee. He confirmed that the first five rounds would be completed by 16 September before the international break.

“The league starts on 21 August and the first round will be held from 21 to 23 August,” Ezzat said.

He added that the first half of the season would finish on 20 February. The second phase is scheduled to begin on 8 March, with the league due to conclude on 28 May.

However, Ezzat warned that the May schedule could be altered because the dates of the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup finals have not yet been confirmed.

Ahmed Diab, president of the Egyptian Professional Clubs Association, said on the sidelines of the draw that clubs involved in African competitions would not receive special postponements.

“There will be no postponements for any team participating in African club competitions in order to provide time for the Egypt national team to prepare properly for its upcoming international commitments,” Diab said.

Representatives from several clubs attended the draw ceremony. Raafat Ibrahim represented Al Ahly, while Saad Samir attended on behalf of Ceramica Cleopatra. Abdel Nasser Mohamed represented Zamalek and Moatasem Salem represented Pyramids FC.

The ceremony was announced as about to begin before the opening-round fixtures were revealed, bringing the live coverage of the Egyptian Premier League draw to a close. The new season will therefore start with 10 matches spread over the opening weekend, while the later stages remain subject to possible changes linked to the continental final dates.