Egypt's Zamalek receives premier league shield, wins title

Monday 03-08-2015 10:47 PM
Egypt's Zamalek receives premier league shield, wins title

Zamalek fans cheer for their club during a game in Cairo. REUTERS/Archive

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CAIRO, Aug 3 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt's sporting club Zamalek was officially handed the premier league shield late Monday, after a goalless draw against Wadi Degla club, winning the title for the first time in 11 years.

The champion club was able to reap 87 points throughout the tournament, making a come-back after over a decade of absence from the league top rank.

Rival club al-Ahly, which has dominated the league, winning the title eight times since 2005, ranked second this year, claiming 79 points. 

This year's champions were nevertheless incapable of winning against Ahly in the latest confrontation between the two clubs, two weeks ago. Ahli won 2/0 against Zamalek.

Zamalek's win came after a turbulent tournament, especially for the team's fans.

The premier league was suspended in February after deadly violence involving Zamalek football fans and security forces. The incident broke out ahead of a game between Zamalek and Enppi clubs on February 8 and left at least 19 people dead.

The league resumed again in March, yet without spectators.

The league was cancelled twice due to political instability following the 2011 uprising which toppled the regime of Hosni Mubarak.

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