Zamalek will face Mouloudia Alger, Club Africain and Young Africans in Group B of the African Champions League, a draw that revives an unwanted pattern in the club’s recent continental history.
Since the competition adopted its modern format in 2016, Zamalek have been eliminated in the group stage in every edition in which their group included an Arab opponent.
That sequence began in 2017, when Zamalek finished third in a section containing USM Alger, Al Ahli Tripoli and CAPS United.
The same outcome followed in the 2020-21 season. Zamalek faced Esperance de Tunis, Mouloudia Alger and Teungueth, but failed to reach the quarter-finals.
In 2021-22, the Egyptian side were drawn with Wydad AC, Petro Atletico and Sagrada Esperanca, yet again ending the competition without securing a qualification place.
A year later, in the 2022-23 edition, Zamalek were grouped with Esperance de Tunis, CR Belouizdad and Al-Merrikh. They once more went out at the group stage.
Their return to a section featuring Mouloudia Alger and Club Africain therefore raises the question of whether Zamalek can finally break the pattern.
The 2016 exception
The historical record also contains an important exception. In 2016, Zamalek progressed from their group and went on to reach the final.
Their opponents in that section were ES Setif, Mamelodi Sundowns and Enyimba. ES Setif were later removed from the competition after crowd trouble during their match against Mamelodi Sundowns.
Following the Algerian club’s expulsion, Zamalek continued their run through the tournament and reached the final, where they lost the title to Mamelodi Sundowns.
That campaign remains central to the apparent contradiction in Zamalek’s record: they succeeded in advancing from a group after one of its Arab teams had been expelled.
There is another notable feature to their modern Champions League history. Zamalek have reached the final in both editions in which they progressed beyond the group stage.
They repeated their 2016 achievement in the 2019-20 season, qualifying from a group that included TP Mazembe, Primeiro de Agosto and Zesco United.
Zamalek then defeated Esperance de Tunis in the quarter-finals and Raja CA in the semi-finals before losing 2-1 to Al Ahly in the final.
As a result, both of Zamalek’s successful group-stage campaigns in the modern era have ended with an appearance in the final. Their other participation has stopped at the first stage.
The latest draw gives Zamalek an opportunity to change that record, while also bringing the club’s recurring difficulties against Arab opposition back into focus.
With Mouloudia Alger, Club Africain and Young Africans all in the group, securing either of the two qualification places will be a significant challenge.
Zamalek must now attempt to end one pattern while repeating another: avoiding another group-stage exit involving Arab opponents and reaching the final once again whenever they manage to progress.
