CAIRO - Both soccer teams finished their preparation camp ahead of their traditionally attention riveting game: the Egyptian Premier League Derby in Cairo. It will take place on Thursday 6:00 pm, on the night before New Year's Eve. Thousands will be on their feet to watch the traditional and classic derby between Al-Ahly and Zamalek. Will the White Knights succeed in demolishing the Red Devils? Or will the Red Devils achieve an unexpected victory to keep the title floating until the end of the season? The Cairo Derby not only divides a city, but virtually the entire 80-million strong Egyptian nation, few of whom are ambivalent about either club. Al-Ahly performances over recent months have been below par, which raised doubts over their chances of beating arch-rivals Zamalek in the Cairo Derby. Ahly coach Abdel Aziz Abdel Shafi 'Zizo' is confident that his side will put on a solid display against Zamalek, despite their embarrassing 1-1 draw with Arab Contractors Saturday night. The Red Devils would have lost to Arab Contractors at home in a Premier League game hadn't it been for a late strike by schemer Ahmed Shukri. But Zizo has reassured the Red Devil fans, telling them that his players would redeem themselves ahead of the eagerly awaited clash. "I'm sure we will be in better form against Zamalek," he said. "The main aim of achieving victory is to please our fans," the assistant coach Mohamed Youssef said. Youssef added that they had studied Zamalek's tactics to be well prepared for the coming derby. The Red Devils started Monday a closed preparation camp in 6th October outside Cairo. Titleholders Ahly are now in the fourth place with 24 points, six behind league leaders Zamalek. According to Zizo, the Red Devils' striker Mohamed Fadl will not be available because of an injury from the match against Arab Contractors Saturday night, and there are doubts whether his teammate Hossam Ashour will participate. "There are some players fit to fill the gap," Zizo said, as Sherif Abdul Fadil will be fit for the line-up of the Devils' squad. No one can deny that the White Knights or Zamalek have been quite different from the previous season; their performances convince the fans. The White Knights also Monday entered a closed preparation camp in New Cairo. Zamalek's coaching staff and fans expect much from their players, particularly their star Shikabala. The 24-year-older, whose contract with the White Knights runs out at the end of the season, is the League's top scorer with nine goals. “Shikabala is similar to Lionel Messi, insofar that he cannot be marked,” Zamalek football director Ibrahim Hassan said on Sunday night. Al-Ahly's defensive midfielder Hossam Ashour successfully kept him at bay during the last derby, but there are doubts whether he will be fit to take part in the clash at the Cairo International Stadium. Shikabala managed to score a goal for the Red Devils in the Egyptian Cup. "Shikabala is like Messi, no one can stop him," Ibrahim Hassan, the twin brother of Zamalek head coach Hossam Hassan, told Modern Sport TV on Sunday night. Hassan added that even if more than one player marked him, it would not be beneficial for their opponents, because Shikabala has all the attributes to elude them. Belgian club Anderlecht showed interested in signing Shikabala up last summer, but Zamalek refused their offer. Zamalek, meanwhile, signed Algerian striker Mohamed Amine Aoudia from JS Kabylie, the club announced yesterday. "We've reached an agreement with Kabylie to sign Aoudia on a three-year deal," Zamalek board member Tarek Ghoneim told Filgoal.com. "We will acquire his services on the request of coach Hossam Hassan, who wanted to strengthen the team's frontline." If Aoudia completes his move to Zamalek, he will become the second Algerian to play for the White Knights after Qassi Said, who had a spell with the club in the 1990s. "I know a lot about Egyptian football, as I played against Ahly and Ismaili in this season's African Champions League," Aoudia, 23, said in a television interview. "Zamalek are a very good club, I hope to be part of their successful team." The White's football director pointed out that an agreement was reached with Ismaili over defender Moatasem Salem's transfer to the Whites this winter. Zamalek had an LE2 million bid recently turned down by the Dervishes, who wanted LE5 million for the Egypt defender. However, an improved offer was made this week and the deal is set to go through, according to Hassan. "We have a final agreement with Ismaili over Salem," Ibrahim Hassan, the twin brother of manager Hossam, told reporters. "We will not announce the transfer fee, but it is around LE3 to 3.5 million. The player is about to sign a contract and complete the move." Salem, whose contract runs out at the end of the season, is also targeted by Zamalek's arch-rivals Ahly, but Ismaili seem reluctant to sell him to the Reds. Should he move to Zamalek, Salem will be the Whites' third signing this summer, following the arrivals of Ahmed Samir and Algerian Ahmed Aoudia. Facts about the Cairo Derby In their previous 105 derbies, Al-Ahly won 37 times, Zamalek 25 times while 43 matches ended in a draw. Mohamed Abou Trieka, Al-Ahly's playmaker, has a chance to break the record of the most scoring player for his team in the derby matches, as he has seven goals in the basket that levelled him with Toto, Al Ahly's former striker, and Alaa el-Hamooly, Zamalek's player. If Abou Treika managed to score one goal, he may break Zamalek's coach Hossam Hassan's record of goals scored in the derby in both teams, as he played for both, scoring nine goals in the derby matches. If Abou Treika also succeeded to score one goal, he would enter the century club with his 100th goal.
