The 2020–21 Egyptian Premier League, also known as The WE Egyptian Premier League for sponsorship purposes, was the 62nd season of the Egyptian Premier League, the top Egyptian professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1948. The season started on 11 December 2020 and is concluded on 28 August 2021. Fixtures for the 2020–21 season was announced one week before the start of the competition.
The season was initially scheduled to start in July, but was delayed to November and later to December due to effects and consequence of the postponement of the previous season's conclusion due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Egypt.
Al Ahly were the defending champions, having won their 5th consecutive and 42nd overall league title in the previous season. Zamalek secured their 13th league title and their first since 2015 with two games to spare; ending Al Ahly's five-year dominance.
Teams
Eighteen teams will compete in the league - the top fifteen teams from the previous season, and three teams promoted from the Egyptian Second Division.
Teams promoted to the Egyptian Premier League On 12 October 2020, National Bank of Egypt secured promotion for the first time in their history following a 1–1 draw with Asyut Petroleum in the final round, in which they finished the season at the top of Group A with equal points with second-placed Beni Suef, but they beat them on head-to-head points.
Ghazl El Mahalla became the second team to be promoted on 13 October, after spending four years in the Second Division, as they ended their season at the top of Group C, winning in the last round 2–1 against Olympic Club, thus having a two-point lead ahead of Pharco.
Ceramica Cleopatra were promoted for the first time in their history on 15 October, as they finished their season at the top of Group B, following a goalless draw with Gomhoriat Shebin in the last round, thus they were one point ahead of second-placed Petrojet.
Teams relegated to the Egyptian Second Division The first club to be relegated was Tanta, who suffered an immediate return to the Egyptian Second Division following Wadi Degla's 4–1 away win against El Entag El Harby on 28 September 2020, which assured the relegation of the El Gharbia-based side. Despite having a decent start early in the previous season, Tanta's performance was progressively worsened and eventually led the club to go on a 17-game winless run and finish on bottom of the table.
The second club to be relegated was FC Masr, who also suffered an immediate return to the Egyptian Second Division following a 1–1 home draw with ENPPI on 3 October 2020 that confirmed the club's relegation. The club did not enjoy a good success in their first-ever season in top flight as they managed to win only 3 matches and conceded more goals that any other club in the league.
Haras El Hodoud became the last club to be relegated on 12 October, as they lost 1–2 to Zamalek in the 33rd round; thus returning to the Second Division after only two seasons in the top tier.
Venues Al Ahly Aswan Ceramica Cleopatra Al Salam Stadium Aswan Stadium Suez Stadium Capacity: 30,000 Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 27,000 ENPPI El Entag El Harby Ghazl El Mahalla Petro Sport Stadium Al Salam Stadium Ghazl El Mahalla Stadium Capacity: 16,000 Capacity: 30,000 Capacity: 14,564 El Gouna Ismaily Al Ittihad Khaled Bichara Stadium Ismailia Stadium Alexandria Stadium Capacity: 12,000 Capacity: 18,525 Capacity: 19,676 Al Masry Misr Lel Makkasa Al Mokawloon Al Arab Borg El Arab Stadium TBD Osman Ahmed Osman Stadium Capacity: TBD Capacity: TBD Capacity: 35,000 National Bank of Egypt Pyramids Smouha Arab Contractors Stadium 30 June Stadium Alexandria Stadium Capacity: TBD Capacity: 30,000 Capacity: 19,676 Tala'ea El Gaish Wadi Degla Zamalek Gehaz El Reyada Stadium Petro Sport Stadium Cairo International Stadium Capacity: 20,000 Capacity: 16,000 Capacity: 75,000
Notes
Personnel and kits Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsorUmbroWE, SAIB Bank, Royal Dutch Shell, Tiger Chips, GLC PaintsAswan Alaa AbdelaalMohamed GaberPuma WE, Oppo, SAIB Bank, EgyptairCeramica Cleopatra Haitham ShaabanAmer MohamedKelmeCeramica Cleopatra GroupENPPINikeWE, Oppo, SAIB Bank, EgyptairEl Entag El Harby Ahmed Abdel MoneimAhmed YehiaUhlsport WE, Oppo, SAIB Bank, EgyptairGhazl El Mahalla Khaled EidMohamed FathallaKelmeMisr Life InsuranceEl Gouna Reda ShehataNour El SayedAdidas Orascom GroupIsmaily Ehab GalalMohamed SobhyJakoWE, Oppo, SAIB Bank, EgyptairAl Ittihad Hossam HassanXtepWE, Oppo, SAIB Bank, EgyptairAl Masry Ali Maher NikeWE, Oppo, SAIB Bank, EgyptairMakkassa Mohamed AzimaNikeWE, Oppo, SAIB Bank, EgyptairAl Mokawloon Al ArabKelmeWE, Oppo, SAIB Bank, EgyptairNational Bank of Egypt Khaled Galal NikeNational Bank of EgyptPyramids Takis GoniasPumaSwyp, TikTokSmouha Ahmed SamyKelmeWE, Oppo, SAIB Bank, EgyptairEl Geish Abdel Hamid Bassiouny Mohamed BassamKelmeWE, Oppo, SAIB Bank, EgyptairWadi Degla Mario SalasSigma FitWE, Oppo, SAIB Bank, EgyptairZamalek ShikabalaPumaOppo, SAIB Bank, Egyptair, Lactel 1. On the back of shirt. 2. On the sleeves. WE, Oppo, El Kasrawy Group, SAIB Bank, EgyptAir and GLC Paints are the league's main sponsors, and their logos are printed on most teams' kits. Referee kits are made by Puma.
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureNumber of MatchesDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Resigned15 October 2020Pre-season Mohamed Youssef19 October 2020 Sacked1 November 2020Pre-season Rodolfo ArruabarrenaIsmaily Heron FerreiraSacked3 Matches21 December 20208th Talaat Youssef22 December 2020Ismaily Talaat YoussefResigned0 Matches24 December 20208th Saafan El-Sagheer24 December 2020Tala'ea El Gaish Tarek El AshryResigned5 Matches2 January 2021 Abdel Hamid Bassiouny4 January 2021Aswan Sami El-SheshiniSacked6 Matches10 January 2021 Alaa Abdelaal10 January 2021Ismaily Saafan El-SagheerInterimJanuary 2021 Dragan Jović29 January 2021Wadi Degla Nikodimos PapavasiliouSacked21 January 2021 Mario Salas1 February 2021Ismaily Dragan JovićResigned18 March 2021 Ehab Galal19 March 2021Misr Lel Makkasa Ehab GalalSigned by Ismaily19 March 2021 Mohamed Azima24 March 2021Wadi Degla Mario SalasSacked27 May 2021 Abdul Baki Jamal27 May 2021Misr Lel Makkasa Mohamed AzimaResigned28 June 2021 Mohamed Abdel-Galil29 June 2021Pyramids Rodolfo ArruabarrenaSacked1 July 2021 Takis Gonias10 January 2021
Foreign players Clubs can have a maximum of four foreign players registered during the season. Clubs cannot sign foreign players unless these players have played in the first or second tier in their countries. Clubs also cannot sign any foreign goalkeepers. In addition, each club can register a player from Palestine, Syria, or the UNAF region; those players are not counted as foreign players. Also, any foreign player who holds Egyptian nationality is not considered a foreign player and will be registered as a local player. For example, Al Masry's player Mahmoud Wadi of Palestine holds both Palestinian and Egyptian nationalities, and as a result he is not registered as a foreign player.
Players name followed with indicates the player is playing out on loan. Players name followed with § indicates the player is playing for the club on loan. Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window. Players name in ITALICS indicates the player has left the club during the mid-season transfer window.
ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4Former players Al Ahly Walter Bwalya Aliou Dieng Junior Ajayi Badr Benoun Ali Maâloul Aliou Badji Geraldo Aswan Solomon Mensah John Avire Moussa Dao Jean-Claude IranziCeramica Cleopatra Kwame Bonsu Winnful Cobbina Fonsinho Maxwell Baakoh Seif Teka ENPPI Fiston Abdul Razak Tonia Tisdell Himid Mao Ziad Boughettas El Entag El Harby Mohamed Sanogo Vieira Abdul Wahab Hanan Mamadou Ndioko Niass Badr Mousa Rafik Kamergi Aymen Trabelsi Moussa DiawaraGhazl El Mahalla Emmanuel Karbogi Moses Odo El Gouna Serge Arnaud Aka Allan Kyambadde Joseph Ngwem Mohamed Lahbib Yeken Walter BwalyaIsmaily Marouane Sahraoui Ary Papel Benson Shilongo Redouane Cherifi Fakhreddine Ben Youssef Piqueti Humam Tariq Patrick KadduIttihad Damion Lowe Emmanuel Okwi Razack Cissé Omar Midani Wilson Akakpo Mohamed Anis SaltouAl Masry Saïdou Simporé Austin Amutu Emeka Christian Eze Kazadi Kasengu Mohammed Saleh Muftah Taktak Cheick Moukoro Mahmoud WadiMisr El Makasa Shimelis Bekele Kevin Muhire Muftah Taktak Paulin Voavy Ahmed Marchuh Al Mokawloon Al Arab Farouck Kabore Luis Hinestroza Maarouf Youssef Jacob NjokuNational Bank of Egypt Mohamed Koffi Estrela Maarouf Youssef Moussa Diawara Mohamed Methnani Pyramids Eric Traoré John Antwi Wilfried Kanon Lumala Abdu Amor Layouni Mahmoud Wadi Ribamar Hamed Hamdan Cristian Benavente Keno Azubuike Okechukwu Smouha Rafik Kabou Eddy Ngoyi Maguette Diop Derrick Nsibambi Mohamed Al Tarhoni Tala'ea El Gaish Franck Engonga Obame Ibrahim Kone Toni Gomes Talla N'DiayeWadi Degla Issahaku Yakubu Jorginho Rodney Antwi Diego Calderón Iheb Mbarki Zamalek Hamid Ahadad Achraf Bencharki Seifeddine Jaziri Ferjani Sassi Hamza Mathlouthi Mohamed Ounajem
Results League table
Results table
Season statistics Goalkeeping
Most Cleansheets +RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Mohamed El ShenawyAl Ahly12 Mohamed BassamTala'ea El Gaish3 Mohamed Abou GabalZamalek10 Islam TarekEl Gouna Mohamed Sobhy Al Ittihad Alexandria 6 Mohamed Abdel MonsefWadi Degla107 Amr ShaabanGhazl El Mahalla98 Ahmed MasoudAl Masry8 Mahmoud El ZonfoulyNational Bank of Egypt Mahmoud GadENPPI
Scoring Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Mohamed SherifAl Ahly212 Mostafa FathiSmouha173 Achraf BencharkiZamalek15 Ahmed Yasser RayyanCeramica Cleopatra5 Omar KamalAl Masry136 Basem MorsyMisr Lel Makkasa12 Karim BamboNational Bank of Egypt8 Ahmed SamirTala'ea El Gaish11 Shimelis BekeleMisr Lel Makkasa Fakhreddine Ben YoussefIsmaily Ahmed AliNational Bank of Egypt Omar El SaidEl Gouna Mostafa El BadryEl Entag El Harby
Assists
Top Assists +RankPlayerClubAssists1 Ali MaâloulAl Ahly122 Hussein El ShahatAl Ahly10 Amr El HalwaniAswan4 Mohamed Magdy AfshaAl Ahly85 Ahmed RefaatAl Masry7 Achraf BencharkiZamalek7 Ahmed Sayed ZizoZamalek6 Mostafa FathiSmouha Amr GamalTala'ea El Gaish Abdallah El SaidPyramids
Number of teams by governorate Number of teams Governorate Team(s)9 CairoAl Ahly, ENPPI, El Entag El Harby, Al Mokawloon Al Arab, National Bank of Egypt, Pyramids, Tala'ea El Gaish, Wadi Degla and Zamalek2 AlexandriaAl Ittihad and Smouha1 AswanAswan GizaCeramica Cleopatra FaiyumMisr Lel Makkasa El GharbiaGhazl El Mahalla IsmailiaIsmaily Port SaidAl Masry Red SeaEl Gouna
References