Next week's Cairo derby between Ahly and Zamalek will take place at Alexandria's Borg El-Arab Stadium, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said on Friday. The 86,000-seat army-owned venue is the biggest in the Middle East but Thursday's Egyptian Premier League clash will be played behind closed doors due to a long-standing crowd ban in domestic football. "We have the approval of Zamalek [the match's hosts] and the Egyptian army to stage the match at Borg El-Arab," EFA executive director Tharwat Swelam was quoted as saying by state media. The biggest fixture in Egyptian football used to be played at Cairo International Stadium, a 74,100-seat venue, but it last hosted the match in June 2011. The derby was moved to other stadiums following a football tragedy in February 2012 that led to the death of more than 70 Ahly fans in coastal city Port Said. Borg El-Arab Stadium hosted the last Cairo derby, with Zamalek defeating Ahly 3-1 in the Egypt Cup final in August. Ahly are on top of the league table with 42 points, 11 clear of Zamalek who have three matches in hand. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports)