Al-Hilal look to wipe away painful memories against Zamalek in Lusail Super Cup

Any meeting between Egypt and Saudi Arabia on the pitch is a big deal and that will be the case when Zamalek and Al-Hilal clash on Friday in the Lusail Super Cup in Qatar.

For this summit between the club champions of two major Arab leagues, one from Asia and one from Africa, traffic in downtown Doha will be regulated, extra trains will be laid on, and the international community will be watching to see how the World Cup hosts stage such a game just two months out from the start of Qatar 2022.

This version of the Saudi-Egyptian Super Cup, which was held three times previously in 2001, 2003 and 2018, and won twice by Zamalek, may be a dress rehearsal for World Cup games (including the final which will take place at the same 80,000-capacity stadium) but that will be the last thing on the minds of the two teams.

Both want a win, especially Al-Hilal. This is an opportunity for the Riyadh giants to put something to bed after events of earlier this year when they, as champions of Asia, met Al-Ahly, the champions of Africa, at the FIFA Club World Cup. It didn’t go well for Asia and while it was little noticed elsewhere on the continent, it was a big deal in Saudi Arabia.

Al-Hilal lost 4-0 to Al-Ahly on a dismal afternoon in Abu Dhabi. They were two goals down inside the first 20 minutes, and two men down inside the first 30 minutes as Matheus Pereira and Mohamed Kanno were sent off. Two days later, coach Leonardo Jardim was fired despite the fact that the Portuguese boss had steered the team to a record fourth Asian title less than three months earlier. Friday then is a chance to defeat Zamalek, Egypt’s other superpower and Al-Ahly’s bitter Cairo rivals, and restore some regional pride.

The Saudi Arabians have changed in