As is customary in the Al Ahly vs Zamalek derby matches, new stars often emerge, especially from the youth sectors. However, this phenomenon has disappeared in recent years due to the intense competition between the two giants for titles, which leaves no room to give opportunities to new faces, as coaches prefer to rely on the main players without risking changes in the lineup.

Football fans’ attention turns tonight at 8 PM to Cairo International Stadium to follow the highly anticipated derby between Al Ahly and Zamalek as part of the ninth round of the Egyptian Premier League, a classic battle where the loser faces a tough path ahead.

Egyptian football fans still remember the historic match on August 4, 1985, when Al Ahly shocked everyone by defeating Zamalek in the quarter-finals of the Egypt Cup 1984-1985 with a team made up of youth players.

The match was held at Cairo Stadium and was refereed by Italian referee Carlo Longhi, who sent off Zamalek’s player Ayman Younes.

In the first round of the cup, Al Ahly, then three-time defending champions, defeated Tanta 5-0. Then in the quarter-finals, Al Ahly caused one of the biggest upsets by beating Zamalek 3-2 after extra time. The surprise was that Al Ahly played with a youth team after 16 players were suspended.

On the morning of July 24, 1985, Egyptian newspapers announced the resignation of Al Ahly’s coach Mahmoud El-Gohary, 10 days before the Al Ahly vs Zamalek cup match, after he chose to announce his resignation through the media, contrary to the club’s principles.

Following this, 16 players, including Mokhtar Mokhtar, Maher Hammam, Mohamed Amer, Hossam El-Badry, and Zakaria Nasif, declared their solidarity with El-Gohary in a famous rebellion and held a separate training camp in a hotel in Heliopolis.

Al Ahly president at the time, Saleh Selim, responded by excluding the entire team and suspending the 16 players for a month on charges of rebellion. The club then played the Egypt Cup quarter-final against Zamalek with a group of youth players and won. Mahmoud El-Gohary did not enter the club as a coach during Saleh Selim’s presidency or afterward, as the friendship between the general and the maestro turned into an eternal rift.

The Al Ahly youth confirmed that their victory over Zamalek was no coincidence as they beat El-Tersana 1-0 in the semi-final with a goal from Shams Hamed, then won the cup by defeating Ismaily 1-0 in the final with a goal from Tarek Khalil.

The Al Ahly team included: Ahmed Shobair, Alaa Abdel-Sadek, Ahmed Gamal, Diaa Abdel-Samad, Mohamed Saad, Badr Ragab, Hamada Marzouk, Tarek Khalil, Mohamed El-Sayed, Mohamed Abdel Aziz, Atef El-Qabbani, Hossam Hassan, and Shams Hamed.

Zamalek’s lineup included: Nasser Abdel Latif, Mohamed Salah, Hisham Yaken, Saeed El-Gady, Badr Hamed, Farouk Gaafar, Ahmed Abdel Halim, Mohamed Helmy, Ashraf Qassem, Ayman Younes, Tarek Yehia, Magdy Shalaby, and Ghanaian Emmanuel Quarshie.