Suez Canal Stadium

Suez Canal Stadium sits within the Olympic Village complex, but the first thing you notice is not the location. The pitch is green. The sightline is sharp: a single block of concrete and glass rises above the rest of the seating, housing what looks like a press box and a large screen. There is no running track in the traditional sense; the blue surface meets the grass directly.

The ground did not grow organically. It was torn down and put back up between 2019 and 2022, so the kit is modern. The surface is hybrid grass, a detail that matters when the pitch gets wet. The capacity is listed as 22,000, though some accounts say 21,000; the difference is small enough that it does not change how the place feels. It is tight. The stands come down close to the touchline, and the blue plastic seats are arranged in a way that keeps the crowd together rather than spreading them out.

It is not the home of the local giants. That honour belongs to the old Ismailia Stadium. This one belongs to Olympic El Qanah FC, and it has also hosted Ceramica Cleopatra FC when they needed a smaller venue. The ground has been used for Uganda and Tanzania, and it hosted matches for the 2023 U-20 Africa Cup of Nations. The main event it is preparing for is the 2025 CAF Women's Champions League Final. The air is dry, and the light is long. You can hear the wind coming off the canal before you hear the crowd.