2018–19 Egyptian Premier League


The 2018–19 Egyptian Premier League, also known as The WE League for sponsorship purposes, was the 60th season of the Egyptian Premier League, the top Egyptian professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1948. The season started on 31 July 2018 and concluded on 28 July 2019. Fixtures for the 2018–19 season were announced on 8 July 2018.
El Gouna, Nogoom and Haras El Hodoud entered as the promoted teams from the 2017–18 Egyptian Second Division. They replaced El Raja, Tanta and Al Nasr who were relegated to the 2018–19 Egyptian Second Division.
Defending champions Al Ahly won their 4th consecutive and 41st overall Egyptian Premier League title on 24 July 2019, following their 3–1 away win against Al Mokawloon Al Arab.

Overview

Fans return to the stadiums

From this season on, the Egyptian Football Association officially allowed the fans to attend league matches again, after they showed great discipline while attending non-league matches in the previous years. The EFA banned all fans from attending all matches back in February 2012, where the Port Said Stadium riot occurred during Al Masry and Al Ahly match in the 2011–12 Egyptian Premier League, which resulted in the death of 72 Al Ahly fans, 1 Al Masry fan and 1 police officer. All Egyptian Premier League fixtures since then was played behind closed doors, and sometimes with a group of people who were invited by the clubs involving in a match.

Al Masry return to Port Said

From this season on, the Egyptian Football Association was supposed to allow Al Masry to play all local home matches at Al Masry Club Stadium in Port Said, after the club successfully acquired the stadium from the Governorate of Port Said on 5 January 2016. However the local security authorities refused this decision, and the club ended up playing their home matches at various stadiums in different cities. The EFA banned Al Masry Club Stadium from hosting all football or sport activities after the Port Said Stadium riot occurred in 2012, and Al Masry played all of their local matches, both home and away, at Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria and at Ismailia Stadium in Ismailia for African matches since then.

Al Assiouty Sport takeover

On 18 June 2018, Mahmoud Al Assiouty, president of Al Assiouty Sport, announced that the club was officially sold to two investors from Saudi Arabia. The club name was changed to Pyramids Football Club, and the deal was later confirmed on 27 June 2018.

Nogoom El Mostakbal rebranding

On 29 July 2018, just two days before the start of the season, Nogoom El Mostakbal announced on their official Facebook page that the club name has been changed to Nogoom Football Club. Club president Mohamed El Tawila stated that the decision to rename the club came after they reached their goal by promoting to the Egyptian Premier League for the first time. The old name, Nogoom El Mostakbal, in Arabic, means "Future Stars", and the new name, Nogoom, means "Stars".

Teams

Eighteen teams competed in the league - the top fifteen teams from the previous season, and three teams promoted from the Second Division.
Teams promoted to the Egyptian Premier League

The first team to be promoted was Haras El Hodoud from Group C, following their 1–0 away win against Al Hammam on 10 April 2018. The Alexandrian side managed to return to the Premier League after staying only two season in the Second Division, and participated in the top flight for the fifteenth time in their history.
The second team to be promoted was El Gouna from Group A, following their 1–0 away win against Al Salam on 11 April 2018. El Gouna earned a spot in the Premier League for the fifth time in the club's history, having played four seasons in the top flight before with the 2014–15 season being the most recent.
The third team to be promoted was Nogoom from Group B, following their 1–0 home win against Montakhab Suez on 18 April 2018. Nogoom managed to secure the promotion spot after a fierce contest that lasted until the last day of the league with Tersana, who lost 1–0 to Gomhoriat Shebin on the same day to confirm the promotion of Nogoom El Mostakbal to the Premier League for the first time in the club's history.
Teams relegated to the Egyptian Second Division

The first club to be relegated was Al Nasr, who suffered an immediate return to the Second Division following a 2–1 away defeat to Al Masry on 12 April 2018.
The second club to be relegated was Tanta, their stay in the Premier League came to an end after spending only two season in the top flight following a 1–2 home defeat to Al Masry on 21 April 2018.
The third club to be relegated was El Raja, who also suffered an immediate return to the Second Division after Wadi Degla managed to secure the last safe spot in the Premier League following a 2–1 home win against El Entag El Harby on 21 April 2018.

Venues

;Notes

Personnel and kits

;Notes

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 total of two players from Palestine or Syria; those players were be treated as Egyptians, and won't count as foreign players.
ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4Palestine/Syria PlayerFormer Player
Al Ahly Geraldo Walid Azaro Junior Ajayi Ali Maâloul Salif Coulibaly
Phakamani Mahlambi
El Dakhleya Emmanuel Agbettor Anousa Isha Yaro Zakari Kevin Muhire John Lennon
Saïdou Simporé
Cédric Ondo Biyoghé
Uche Ihuarulam
ENPPI Chadrack Lukombe Wilfried Yessoh Aboubacar Diarra Shiza Kichuya Brian Ferreira
Yaya Sanou
Marlon Ramírez
Odah Marshall
Noah Sadaoui
El Entag El Harby Abdul Wahab Annan Moussa Diawara James Owoboskini Hamed Hamdan Emeka Eze
Solomon Okuruket
Abbas Amidu
El Gouna Jonathan Ngwem Gatoch Panom Serge Aka Ousseynou Boye Abdoulaye Coulibaly
Chisom Chikatara
Ramzi Saleh
Haras El Hodoud Cyrille Ndaney Ibrahim Koné Amadaiya Rennie Edu Moses Pampa Lissian
Daouda Bangoura
Isaac Muleme
Ismaily Richard Baffour Benson Shilongo Odah Marshall Yahya Zayd Christopher Mendouga
Diego Calderón
Thomas Abbey
Moussa Camara
Okiki Afolabi
Taro Godswill
Lassaâd Jaziri
Al Ittihad Wallace da Silva Toni Silva Razack Cissé Derick Ogbu Emmanuel Banahene
Didier Koré
Manucho
Wilson Akakpo
Mohamed Ali Moncer
Al Masry Saïdou Simporé Austin Amutu Ezekiel Bassey Emeka Eze Mohammed Saleh
Mahmoud Wadi
Aristide Bancé
Mohamed Koffi
Issouf Ouattara
Cheick Moukoro
Torric Jebrin
Abdullah Al Shami
Misr Lel Makkasa Shimelis Bekele John Antwi Paulin Voavy Eric Traoré
Kevin Muhire
Arouna Sene
Al Mokawloon Al Arab Farouck Kabore Luis Hinestroza Seifeddine Jaziri Júnior
Edgar Silva
Saikou Conteh
Torric Jebrin
Didier Koré
Solomon Okuruket
Nogoom Joël Lamah Didier Koré Michael Azekhumen Tosin Omoyele Aubrey Chirwa
Petrojet Chris Gadi Santi Corre Mohamed Vieira Himid Mao Shimelis Bekele
Benjamin Acheampong
Omar Najdi
Pyramids Keno Eric Traoré Jhon Cifuente Cristian Benavente Omar Kharbin
Omar Midani
Arthur
Carlos Eduardo
Ribamar
Rodriguinho
Moussa Dao
Dani Schahin
Benson Shilongo
Azubuike Okechukwu
Hamed Hamdan
Gift Links
Isaac Muleme
Smouha Eddy Ngoyi Oumed Oukri Cheikh Bamba Derrick Nsibambi Patrick Malo
Hans Kwofie
Augustine Okrah
Stephen Sarfo
Yamodou Touré
Mansou Kouakou
Benson Shilongo
Tala'ea El Gaish Franck Engonga Chisom Chikatara Talla N'Diaye Richard Boro Jérôme Ouiya
David Ofei
Hassan Wasswa
Wadi Degla Issahaku Yakubu Vasilis Bouzas Yaya Soumahoro Ibrahima Ndiaye Patrick Malo
Boubacar Traoré
Richard Boro
Zamalek Hamid Ahaddad Khalid Boutaïb Hamdi Nagguez Ferjani Sassi Maarouf Youssef
Kabongo Kasongo
Benjamin Acheampong
Nana Poku
Moayad Ajan

Results

League table

Positions by round

The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches were not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards. For example, if a match was scheduled for matchday 13, but then postponed and played between days 16 and 17, it was added to the standings for day 16.
Team \ Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
Team \ Round
Al Ahly832114477912121417185674333333221321111
Zamalek14215312111211111111111111112233332
Pyramids4652231233435222222222222333112223
Al Masry3111010106881012141315151612111214777644444444444
Al Mokawloon Al Arab6148131410121516171818161386546665566666655555
Misr Lel Makkasa1610131515116455752433333444455555566666
Ismaily51214988911141411111214151818181711118889977777777
Tala'ea El Gaish13151716121511101388107779867889991012101291314888
ENPPI1781269121491111109111214171615161616161718181814161515151099
Wadi Degla7171818181817181516131410101014151310171717181512131211131112121210
Al Ittihad1016111213131314965881168910131515121314147891014891311
Smouha17334753443433577899910121315151715141210141012
El Entag El Harby25445235221245444555567778988811111113
El Gouna189786576676798915141615121213101081011101199131414
Haras El Hodoud151816171717181617181717181613101098101011111111111313161616151515
Petrojet121677910131213151517181716171718181818151213141514121013161616
El Dakhleya949141616161281096691211131112141414141616161617171717171717
Nogoom1113151111141517181516161361113121411131315161717171818181818181818

Source:
Leader
2019–20 CAF Champions League
2019–20 CAF Confederation Cup
Relegation to 2019–20 Egyptian Second Division

Results table

Season statistics

Scoring

Emmanuel Banahene for Al Ittihad against Al Mokawloon Al Arab
Ali Maâloul for Al Ahly against Zamalek

Top goalscorers

;Notes

Hat-tricks

;Note
– Home ; – Away

Top assists

RankPlayerClubAssists
1 Mahmoud KahrabaZamalek10
2 Luis HinestrozaAl Mokawloon Al Arab8
2 Abdallah El SaidPyramids8
4 Razack CisséAl Ittihad7
4 Ali MaâloulAl Ahly7
4 Jonathan NgwemEl Gouna7
4 Ahmed ShedidEl Entag El Harby7
8 Mohamed BassiounyENPPI6
8 GeraldoAl Ahly6
8 KenoPyramids6
8 Mohamed MagdyPyramids6
8 El Sayed SalemWadi Degla/Al Ittihad6
8 Benson ShilongoSmouha/Ismaily6
8 Mahmoud WahidMisr Lel Makkasa/Al Ahly6

;Notes

Clean sheets

RankPlayerClubClean
sheets
1 Mohamed El ShenawyAl Ahly13
2 Ahmed AdelMisr Lel Makkasa11
2 Mohamed BassamTala'ea El Gaish11
2 Ahmed MasoudAl Masry11
5 Mohamed Abou GabalSmouha10
5 Mohamed FawzyIsmaily10
5 Mahmoud GeneshZamalek10
5 Ahmed El ShenawyPyramids10
9 Mahmoud Abou El NagaPetrojet8
9 Ahmed El SaadaniHaras El Hodoud8

Monthly awards

Number of teams by governorate