Al Salam Stadium

This is a ground that has seen the highest calibre of Egyptian football without being in the city centre.

It was built in 2009 to host matches for the FIFA U-20 World Cup . The playing surface is natural grass, a change from the artificial turf that covered the pitch when it first opened. For a while, the venue was renamed after the biggest club in the country, but the agreement ended and the old name returned.

Other significant games were played in the same space. During the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, the venue hosted ten matches, including a quarter-final and the third-place playoff. It is a functional arena, built for large events and maintained by the ministry that owns it. Money has come for the hosts when big tournaments arrive, but the ground itself is a quiet landmark in Eastern Cairo, existing in the shadow of the hills rather than the city’s noise.