Al Ahly will begin their Egyptian Premier League campaign against El Sharqia Enppi with history on their side after the league draw placed the two teams together in the opening round of the new season.
The match is scheduled for 23 August and will mark the first competitive fixture of the campaign for Al Ahly, who finished third in the previous edition of the tournament.
The Red Devils enter the encounter with an impressive record in opening league matches, having established themselves as one of the competition’s most successful clubs since the championship began in the 1948-49 season.
Across 73 opening-day fixtures, Al Ahly have recorded 52 victories, 16 draws and only five defeats, highlighting their consistency when starting new league campaigns.
Their opponents, Enppi, have had a more mixed record since gaining promotion to the Egyptian Premier League in the 2002-03 season.
The petroleum club have played 24 opening matches at the top-flight level, winning seven, drawing nine and losing eight.
Beyond their opening-day history, Al Ahly also hold a clear advantage in their overall meetings with Enppi across Egyptian competitions.
The two sides have faced each other 56 times in domestic tournaments, with Al Ahly securing 38 wins compared with seven victories for Enppi. Eleven matches have ended in draws.
The Red Devils have also produced a stronger attacking record in those encounters, scoring 97 goals while conceding 45.
The latest update to that record came in their most recent meeting, when Al Ahly defeated Enppi 3-0 on 5 May 2026.
In Egyptian League matches specifically, the dominance remains evident.
The clubs have met 46 times in the league, with Al Ahly winning 31 matches, while Enppi have managed only four victories. The remaining 11 fixtures ended level.
During those league meetings, Al Ahly have scored 85 goals, compared with 39 scored by Enppi.
The first competitive meeting between the teams took place on 10 January 2003, when Al Ahly claimed a 2-1 victory.
However, one of the most memorable matches between the two clubs came later that season when Enppi recorded a surprise win through a goal from Sayed Abdel-Naim.
That result had major consequences in the title race, as it prevented Al Ahly from securing the league championship and helped Zamalek win the competition by a one-point margin.
Despite that setback, Al Ahly have maintained control of the rivalry over the years and have generally enjoyed success against Enppi.
The Red Devils also have a strong historical record against El Sharqia, another side linked with the upcoming fixture following the merger involving Enppi.
Al Ahly have played El Sharqia on 10 occasions, winning seven times and drawing three matches.
El Sharqia have never defeated the Cairo giants, leaving Al Ahly with an unbeaten record in their meetings.
As the new Egyptian League season approaches, Al Ahly will hope their historical advantage translates into another positive start.
While past records do not guarantee future results, the statistics underline the challenge facing Enppi as they prepare to meet a team that has dominated many of their previous encounters.
For Al Ahly, the opening fixture represents an opportunity to begin their campaign strongly after finishing outside the top two in the previous season, while Enppi will aim to rewrite the history books and secure a memorable result against one of Egyptian football’s most successful clubs.
