Cairo derby

Cairo derby

Zamalek's captain Nour El-Dali and Al Ahly's captain Saleh Selim shaking hands before the 1959 Egypt Cup final on 24 April 1959
Other names	Arab Classico
Location	Egypt
Teams	Zamalek Al Ahly
First meeting	9 February 1917 Friendly Al Ahly 1–0 Zamalek
Latest meeting	11 March 2025 Egyptian Premier League Zamalek 3–0 Al Ahly
Stadiums	Cairo International Stadium Borg El Arab Stadium
Statistics
Meetings total	229 (official matches)
Most wins	Al Ahly (99)
Most player appearances	Hossam Ashour (34)
Top scorer	Abdel-Karim Sakr (19)
All-time series	Al Ahly: 99 Drawn: 79 Zamalek: 53
Largest victory	Zamalek 6–0 Al Ahly 1941–42 Cairo League Zamalek 6–0 Al Ahly (2 June 1944) 1944 Egypt Cup final

The Cairo derby (Arabic: ديربي القاهرة) or the Arab Classico (Arabic: كلاسيكو العرب) is a rivalry between Egyptian football clubs Al Ahly and Zamalek, arguably the two most successful clubs in Egypt and Africa. Al Ahly and Zamalek were named by the CAF as the 1st and 2nd African clubs of the 20th century respectively. It is considered one of the fiercest sports encounters, and its matches attract a large audience. This match is known for its intensity since 1917 until today.

Both teams are located in Greater Cairo and their matches are considered the highlight of the football season with a live broadcast to most of the Middle Eastern and North African countries since the 1970s. Usually the derby is played twice each season with 2 matches in the Egyptian Premier League, but it is not uncommon to find the teams meeting each other in the Egypt Cup, especially in the final, and in Africa's most prestigious club competition, the CAF Champions League. The best-attended football match between Al-Ahly and Zamalek in Cairo attracted a crowd of 120,000.^[1]