A plethora of surprises awaits spectators in the final match of the Egyptian Football Cup between Al Ahly and Zamalek, as orchestrated by Turki Al-Sheikh, the Chairman of the Saudi Entertainment Authority, within the Riyadh Season festivities.
The highly anticipated clash between Al Ahly and Zamalek is set to take place on Friday, March 8, at the Al Oul Park Stadium in Riyadh.
Outlined in this report are the surprises associated with the Al Ahly vs. Zamalek match:
Global Stars
Al-Sheikh, during an appearance on “Jomhor Al Thalitha” show on ONTime Sports channel, revealed that the Kingdom would host two of the oldest clubs in the Arab region, Al Ahly and Zamalek, emphasizing that tickets were sold out within minutes of release.
Al-Sheikh stated, “The aim of hosting the Egyptian Cup final is to strengthen the relations between Saudi Arabia and Egypt, as the relationship is strategic between the two countries.”
He continued, “A total of 44 cameras have been allocated to broadcast the cup final, including 28 cameras inside the stadium.”
Furthermore, he mentioned, “The viewing quality will be enhanced on ONTime Sports and MBC Masr channels broadcasting the match, and we have reached an agreement with a Spanish team led by Óscar Lago, who directed the 2022 World Cup final, assisted by a team from America.”
Al-Sheikh elaborated, “Permission will be sought from Al Ahly and Zamalek to install cameras on the benches and in the changing rooms.”
He added, “There will be a dedicated studio before the match led by Sayed Zaher and Hany Hathout, featuring a selection of former stars including Portuguese Manuel José, Hossam Ghaly, and Hazem Emam.”
Continuing, he said, “There will also be a detailed studio just before the match with the presence of Portuguese José Mourinho, former coach of AS Roma, alongside a global referee and an Egyptian referee to analyze the scenes, with commentator Medhat Shalaby.”
Additional Prize
Turki Al-Sheikh also posted on his official Facebook account: “Due to the deep-rooted relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the sisterly Arab Republic of Egypt, and our love and appreciation for our dear Egyptian people, and our enthusiasm for the cup match and the history of Al Ahly and Zamalek.”
He added, “The Riyadh Season offers an additional prize of $500,000 for the winning team, and today, ticket sales are open.”
Furthermore, he mentioned, “There is a special reward for the Egyptian Cup runner-up, amounting to $150,000, provided by the Riyadh Season in addition to the designated prize.”
Surprise for “Qaderon Bakhtalif” Champion
Turki Al-Sheikh extended a personal invitation via his “X” Twitter account: “My dear Abdulrahman, I extend an invitation to you to attend the Al Ahly vs. Zamalek match in the Egyptian Cup final.”
Abdulrahman Mustafa Kamel, the champion of “Qaderon Bakhtalif,” expressed his wish to become a member of Zamalek Club during the fifth celebration of “Qaderon Bakhtalif.”
Responding promptly, Hussein Labib, Chairman of the Board of Zamalek Club, promised to expedite the procedures for Abdulrahman Mustafa Kamel’s membership in Zamalek Club.
It is noteworthy that Al Ahly advanced to the Egyptian Cup final after defeating Enppi 3-0, while Zamalek secured their spot by eliminating Pyramids FC in a penalty shootout after the original and extra time ended in a 3-3 draw.
Al Ahly holds the record for the most Egyptian Cup titles with 38 victories, leading by a margin of 10 titles over their closest rival, Zamalek.
