The final of the 2023 Egyptian Cup between Al Ahly and Zamalek is just hours away, marking the first time the final is held outside Egypt, at Al Oula Park in Saudi Arabia.
This tournament, the oldest in Egypt and the Middle East, began in 1921 during the reign of King Fuad, initially named the “Prince Farouk Cup.”
The inception of the tournament coincided with the birth of King Fuad’s first male child, and his awaited heir at the time, the future King Farouk I, born in 1920.
At that time, Jafar Wali, the first president of the Egyptian Football Association and the fourth president of Al Ahly Club, presented the first edition of the Egypt Cup to King Fuad and his two-year-old heir, Farouk, after which it was named.
This occurred before the first-ever Egyptian Cup final between Zamalek and Union Alexandria.
Zamalek defeated Union Alexandria 5-0, lifting the cup for the first time, marking the second-most wins in the history of the oldest championship, including two shared wins with Al Ahly.
The second champions of the cup were Tersana in 1923, by defeating Railway.
Then, Al Ahly won the championship twice against Railway and Union Alexandria, respectively, and Union Alexandria won it for the first time in 1926 against Al Ahly.
The first final between Al Ahly and Zamalek was in 1928, with Al Ahly winning 1-0.
The encounter was renewed in 1931, with Al Ahly winning 4-1, while Zamalek retaliated in the 1932 and 1935 editions with 2-1 and 3-0 wins, respectively.
Olympic Club, unnamed, won the cup in 1933 by defeating Al Ahly 3-1, then claimed the next edition against Zamalek 1-0.
The sixth champion, Tram, won the cup in 1939 by defeating Police Club 2-0.
The tournament, the oldest among its kind, was suspended between 1967 and 1972 due to the setback of 1967, but resumed in the 1972-1973 season, with Union Alexandria winning against Al Ahly.
It then disappeared from the following season due to the October War.
The first non-political or military cancellation occurred in 1980, as the league ended late, while the 1982 edition was not completed due to a crisis between Zamalek and the Egyptian Football Association.
It was canceled again in 1987 due to time constraints and the African commitments of Al Ahly, Zamalek, and Tersana.
The eighth champion came in 1990, with Arab Contractors winning against Suez Team 2-1.
Another cancellation occurred in 1994 due to the late finish of the league and the start of the World Cup that year.
The ninth champion, Ismaily, won the cup in 1997 by defeating Al Ahly 1-0, followed by Al Masry, winning against Arab Contractors 4-2 in the next edition immediately in 1998.
In the current millennium, ENPPI won the cup in 2005 against Union Alexandria 1-0 and a second time against Zamalek 2-1 in 2011.
Haras El Hodood became the last new club to win the championship, winning twice in 2009 against ENPPI and 2010 against Al Ahly, both on penalties.
The 2012 edition was canceled due to the Port Said massacre, and afterward, four new clubs attempted to register their names on the honor roll, including Wadi Degla (2013) and Smouha (2014 and 2018), both eliminated by Zamalek.
The list also includes Tala’ea El Gaish, who lost to Al Ahly on penalties in 2020, and Pyramids, who failed twice against Zamalek in 2019 and Al Ahly in 2022, with the latter being the last final before Friday’s summit.
