 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 | Al Ahly Zamalek |
| First meeting | 9 February 1917 Friendly Al Ahly 1–0 Zamalek |
| Latest meeting | 24 October 2024 Egypt Super Cup Al Ahly 0–0 (7–6 p) Zamalek |
| Next meeting | 22 February 2025 Egyptian Premier League Al Ahly v Zamalek |
| 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: 52 Zamalek: 78 |
| Largest victory | Zamalek 6–0 Al Ahly (2 January 1942) Zamalek 6–0 Al Ahly (2 June 1944) |
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.
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.