The Egypt Cup, which will see its final match in Riyadh on Friday, has a storied history spanning 103 years, although the ongoing edition is numbered as the 91st, with 12 editions canceled from 1943 to 2012 for various reasons.
Dating back to 1921, the tournament stands as the oldest football competition in Africa and the Arab world, showcasing the rich heritage of Egyptian football.
The final match at the “Al-Aoul Park” will feature Zamalek, one of the finalists with a rich history of victories, while their arch-rivals Al-Ahly will be the other contender, boasting 38 titles.
Following closely behind is Zamalek with 28 titles.
The Egyptian Football Association canceled 12 editions of the cup, some before the matches commenced and others, albeit fewer, after the tournament had begun.
In the 1942-1943 season, the federation canceled the final match when players from Al-Ahly and Zamalek violated its decision and traveled abroad.
However, the title was not voided and was jointly awarded to both clubs.
Another shared title occurred in the 1957-1958 season when the final ended in a goalless draw, and later, with two goals each in a replay match.
Since penalty shootouts were not employed at that time, both teams were declared winners.
Six editions of the cup were canceled due to the wars of 1967 and 1973.
The tournament was completely suspended from 1967 to 1972, resumed briefly for the 1972-1973 season, before another one-season hiatus.
Late Egyptian league finishes resulted in the cancellation of the cup in the seasons 1979-1980 and 1993-1994.
A dispute between Zamalek and the football association led to the cancellation of the 1981-1982 edition.
Similarly, the football association had to take the same action for the 1986-1987 cup when scheduling conflicts involving the national team and clubs like Al-Ahly, Zamalek, and Tersana disrupted the season calendar.
The tragic events at the Port Said Stadium in early February 2012 temporarily halted Egyptian football competitions, including the 2011-2012 edition of the Egypt Cup.
