The Sultan Hussein Cup (1917âÂÂ1938) was the first local Egyptian football competition. It preceded the Egypt Cup and the regional leagues in the areas of Cairo, Alexandria, Bahary and Canal. The first Egyptian team to win the trophy was Zamalek SC, in the 1921 edition.
In 1916, the idea of establishing a football league in the Sultanate of Egypt was proposed. The league would include Egyptian teams and teams from the allies' military clubs, including the British. The competition was named after Sultan Hussein Kamel.
Zamalek was the only Egyptian club to participate in the championship as a sign of resistance to the British and a way to display the Egyptian presence in the sport. Zamalek reached the final of the 1917 edition and eventually won the cup in 1920âÂÂ21. This encouraged other Egyptian clubs to participate including Al Ahly which initially refused to take part, but in 1918, they decided to take part.