Egyptian Second Division (Group A) 2019-2020
|
Season |
2019-2020 |
|
Dates |
20 October 2019 – 15 October 2020 |
|
Champions |
National Bank of Egypt |
|
Promoted |
National Bank of Egypt |
|
Relegated |
None (relegation was cancelled after the end of the season) |
|
Matches played |
132 |
|
Goals scored |
280 (2.12 goals/match on average) |
|
Biggest home win |
Beni Suef – Shaban Qena 4-0 (round 1, 20 October 2019) Beni Suef – Asyut Petroleum 4-0 (round 16, 23 February 2020) |
|
Biggest away win |
Fayoum – Shaban Qena 0-2 (round 5, 19 November 2019) Telephonat – Sohag 0-2 (round 7, 1 December 2019) Tahta – Aluminium 0-2 (round 7, 1 December 2019) National Bank – Al Minya 0-2 (round 9, 15 December 2019) Dayrout – Media 0-2 (round 9, 16 December 2019) Tahta – Beni Suef 0-2 (round 11, 29 December 2019) Tahta – Asyut Petroleum 0-2 (round 12, 19 January 2020) Al Minya – Aluminium 0-2 (round 13, 26 January 2020) Dayrout – National Bank 0-2 (round 13, 26 January 2020) Media – Sohag 1-3 (round 15, 16 February 2020) Dayrout – Shaban Qena 0-2 (round 15, 16 February 2020) Shaban Qena – National Bank 0-2 (round 18, 21 September 2020) Telephonat – Al Minya 1-3 (round 19, 26 September 2020) Media – Aluminium 1-3 (round 19, 26 September 2020) Dayrout – Aluminium 2-4 (round 21, 7 October 2020) Tahta – Al Minya 2-4 (round 21, 7 October 2020) Media – Telephonat 0-2 (round 22, 12 October 2020) |
|
Highest scoring |
Beni Suef – Dayrout 5-2 (round 18, 20 September 2020) |
|
Longest winning run |
National Bank (4 matches, rounds 2-5) Shaban Qena (4 matches, rounds 2-5) Aluminium (4 matches, rounds 10-13) |
|
Longest unbeaten run |
Shaban Qena (11 matches, rounds 7-17) |
|
Longest winless run |
Tahta (14 matches, rounds 1-14) |
|
Longest losing run |
Dayrout (8 matches, rounds 6-13) Tahta (8 matches, rounds 7-14) |
Competition details and format
The Egyptian Second Division (sometimes called Premier League B) represents the second tier in the Egyptian football system and is organized by the Egyptian Football Association. The 2019-2020 Egyptian Second Division was the 40th season since its establishment in 1977. In view of creating a lower number of groups for the 2020-2021 season of the Second Division, the number of teams has been further reduced for the 2019-2020 season, from 42 teams in 2018-2019 to only 36 teams, divided into 3 groups of 12 teams. The teams have been distributed according to their geographical location: Group A includes the teams from Upper and Middle Egypt, as well as two teams from Cairo area (Media and National Bank), Group B – the teams from Cairo and the North-East and Group C – the teams from Alexandria and the North-West.
Just like in the previous season, no teams relegated from the Premier League have been included in Group A. To compensate the numbers, three of the promoted teams (out of six) from the Third Division have been placed in Group A (instead of two), including one from Cairo.
Same as before, the winners of each group gained promotion to the Premier League without any promotion play-offs. Five teams were relegated to the Third Division from each group. The competition format was established as a double (home and away) round-robin championship, each team playing all other teams twice, once at home and once away, a total of 22 rounds. In Group A, the competition started on the 20th of October 2019 and was expected to finish in April 2020. However, due to COVID-19 pandemic, the competition was stopped on the 11th of March 2020, with five rounds to go in all of the groups. After a break of more than six months, the competition was eventually restarted on the 20th September 2020, under strict health-related rules, and finished on 15 October 2020. Games were played throughout the week, in the afternoon, and no spectators were allowed according to the decision of the Egyptian FA.
In Group A, the main contenders for promotion were considered the runners-up of the last season, Beni Suef, as well as Aluminium and newly-promoted National Bank of Egypt. At the end of the first half of the season, National Bank of Egypt were leaders, after surprisingly winning 1-0 away at Beni Suef, second classified and main favorites for promotion. However, the gap between these two teams was just one point, and Aluminium were just two points behind the leaders, in third position. These three teams seemed to have gained some distance over the others, and were expected to compete for the top spot. Shaban Qena were in fourth position. Before the break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with five rounds to go, Beni Suef and National Bank of Egypt had the same number of points, while Aluminium were three points behind and Shaban Qena four points behind them. After the competition resumed, Beni Suef won the first two matches and became sole leaders with three rounds to go, taking advantage of the draws made by National Bank of Egypt and Aluminium, while Shaban Qena obtained just one point and went out of chances for the top spot. In round 20, Beni Suef lost surprisingly to their local rivals Telephonat, but they were still one point ahead of National Bank, which did not capitalize on the event, drawing again, this time away to Al Minya, while Aluminium won and came just two points behind. In the second to last round, in the seemingly decisive match for promotion, National Bank won 2-0 at home over Beni Suef and became leaders with just one round to go, while Aluminium won again and were one point behind, with former leaders Beni Suef two points behind in third. The winners of the group were decided in the last round. National Bank of Egypt drew 1-1 away at Asyut Petroleum and earned their first promotion to the Premier League, because Aluminium were also held to a 0-0 draw away at Sohag, while Beni Suef’s win over Tahta did not matter, as they were behind National Bank on head-to-head matches.
All the other teams were rather expected to be involved in the fight to avoid relegation, especially Fayoum, Sohag, Tahta and Dayrout. At half season, Tahta and Dayrout were classified last and second to last, at great distance from the others, so their relegation looked unavoidable. However, the fight to avoid the three other relegation spots seemed to involve almost all the other teams, as the gap between the fifth classified, Telephonat Beni Suef, and tenth classified, Sohag, was just four points. Therefore, all six teams in mid-table, Telephonat Beni Suef, Al Minya, Media, Asyut Petroleum, Fayoum and Sohag competed to avoid relegation. Shabab Qena, in fourth position, was the only team in ”nowhere land”, which, depending on their results, could become involved either in the fight for promotion or the one to avoid relegation, as it seemed quite difficult to remain far from either end of the table. Before the break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation was rather the same, with Tahta and Dayrout at the bottom of the table and almost mathematically relegated, while Asyut Petroleum, Telephonat and Sohag had a minimal advantage of 3-5 points over the teams below the relegation line, Al Minya, Media and Fayoum. After the competition resumed, Tahta and Dayrout failed to win and, as expected, became mathematically relegated after round 18. Fayoum lost three consecutive matches and were also relegated with two rounds to go. Media lost to Fayoum in the second to last round and were also relegated before the last round. In the last round, three teams were still involved in the fight to avoid the last relegation spot: Al Minya, which only needed a draw in their last game against Shaban Qena, Sohag, which needed a win in the last round to be sure to stay in the Second Divison, and Telephonat Beni Suef, which needed a better result than Sohag in the last round. In the last round, Al Minya and Telephonat Beni Suef won, while Sohag only succeeded a 0-0 draw against Aluminium and were relegated. It is interesting to note that this 0-0 draw affected both contenders: Aluminium failed to promote, and Sohag were relegated. A win by any side would have changed things either in terms of promotion or relegation.
However, on the 26th of October 2020, more than a week after the season ended, the Egyptian FA cancelled the relegation from all divisions (except the Egyptian Premier League) due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, so no teams were eventually relegated. The number of teams was increased from 36 in 2019-2020 to 48 in 2020-2021, with the addition of 12 newly-promoted teams from the Third Division.
Team changes from the 2018-2019
To the Second Division
Promoted from the Third Division
National Bank
Asyut Petroleum
Shabab Qena
Relegated from the Premier League
None
From the Second Division
Promoted to the Premier League
Aswan
Relegated to the Third Division
Al Walideya
Naser Mallawi
El Tahrir
Al Nasr Lel Taa’den
Teams
|
Team |
Home town |
Stadium |
2018-2019 |
|
Beni Suef SC |
Beni Suef |
Beni Suef |
2nd in the Second Division, Gr. A |
|
Media SC |
6th of October |
Media |
3rd in the Second Division, Gr. A |
|
Telephonat |
Beni Suef |
Beni Suef |
4th in the Second Division, Gr. A |
|
Al Minya SC |
Minya |
Minya University |
5th in the Second Division, Gr. A |
|
Aluminium |
Nag Hammâdi |
Aluminium |
6th in the Second Division, Gr. A |
|
Dayrout SC |
Dayrout |
MS Abnub |
7th in the Second Division, Gr. A |
|
Tahta SC |
Tahta |
Tahta |
8th in the Second Division, Gr. A |
|
Sohag SC |
Sohag |
Sohag |
9th in the Second Division, Gr. A |
|
Fayoum SC |
Fayoum |
Alassiouty Sports Resort[1] |
10th in the Second Division, Gr. A |
|
Asyut Petroleum |
Asyut |
Asyut University |
1st in the Third Division, Gr. A |
|
Shaban |
Qena |
Shaban Qena |
2nd in the Third Division, Gr. A |
|
National Bank |
Giza (Agouza) |
National Bank |
2nd in the Third Division, Gr. B |
Round 1 (20 October 2019)
Beni Suef – Shaban Qena 4-0
Al Minya – Sohag 0-0
Asyut Petroleum – Tahta 2-0
Dayrout – Telephonat 2-2
Media – National Bank 1-1
Fayoum – Aluminium 2-1
Round 2 (28-30 October 2019)
Sohag – Beni Suef 0-1
Aluminium – Al Minya 1-0
National Bank – Dayrout 3-0
Shaban Qena – Asyut Petroleum 2-1
Tahta – Media 1-1
Telephonat – Fayoum 1-0
Round 3 (3-4 November 2019)
Beni Suef – Al Minya 2-0
Asyut Petroleum – Sohag 3-2
Dayrout – Tahta 2-2
Media – Shaban Qena 0-1
Fayoum – National Bank 0-1
Telephonat – Aluminium 1-0
Round 4 (10 November 2019)
Aluminium – Beni Suef 1-0
Sohag – Media 1-1
Al Minya – Asyut Petroleum 1-0
National Bank – Telephonat 3-1
Shaban Qena – Dayrout 1-0
Tahta – Fayoum 0-0
Round 5 (19 November 2019)
Telephonat – Tahta 3-0
Asyut Petroleum – Beni Suef 0-0
National Bank – Aluminium 2-1
Dayrout – Sohag 1-0
Media – Al Minya 2-1
Fayoum – Shaban Qena 0-2
Round 6 (24-27 November 2019)
Al Minya – Dayrout 3-1
Beni Suef – Media 2-1
Aluminium – Asyut Petroleum 1-0
Sohag – Fayoum 1-0
Shaban Qena – Telephonat 0-1
Tahta – National Bank 0-0
Round 7 (1 December 2019)
Telephonat – Sohag 0-2
Tahta – Aluminium 0-2
National Bank – Shaban Qena 0-0
Media – Asyut Petroleum 1-1
Fayoum – Al Minya 1-0
Dayrout – Beni Suef 1-2 – played on 7 December 2019
Round 8 (8-11 December 2019)
Sohag – National Bank 0-1
Al Minya – Telephonat 0-0
Shaban Qena – Tahta 1-0
Beni Suef – Fayoum 1-0
Aluminium – Media 3-0
Asyut Petroleum – Dayrout 2-1
Round 9 (15-16 December 2019)
Telephonat – Beni Suef 0-0
National Bank – Al Minya 0-2
Dayrout – Media 0-2
Shaban Qena – Aluminium 0-0
Fayoum – Asyut Petroleum 3-1
Tahta – Sohag 0-1
Round 10 (22 December 2019)
Beni Suef – National Bank 0-1
Asyut Petroleum – Telephonat 2-1
Aluminium – Dayrout 2-1
Al Minya – Tahta 2-1
Media – Fayoum 2-1
Sohag – Shaban Qena 0-0
Round 11 (29 December 2019)
Telephonat – Media 1-1
Aluminium – Sohag 2-1
National Bank – Asyut Petroleum 2-0
Shaban Qena – Al Minya 1-1
Fayoum – Dayrout 4-2
Tahta – Beni Suef 0-2
Table at half season
|
1 |
National Bank |
11 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
14-5 |
24 |
Promotion to Premier League |
|
2 |
Beni Suef |
11 |
7 |
2 |
2 |
14-4 |
23 |
|
|
3 |
Aluminium |
11 |
7 |
1 |
3 |
14-7 |
22 |
|
|
4 |
Shaban Qena |
11 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
8-7 |
19 |
|
|
5 |
Telephonat |
11 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
11-10 |
16 |
|
|
6 |
Al Minya |
11 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
10-9 |
15 |
|
|
7 |
Media |
11 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
12-13 |
14 |
|
|
8 |
Asyut Petroleum |
11 |
4 |
2 |
5 |
12-14 |
14 |
|
|
9 |
Fayoum |
11 |
4 |
1 |
6 |
11-12 |
13 |
|
|
10 |
Sohag |
11 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
8-9 |
12 |
|
|
11 |
Dayrout |
11 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
11-23 |
5 |
|
|
12 |
Tahta |
11 |
0 |
4 |
7 |
4-16 |
4 |
|
Round 12 (19 January 2020)
Shaban Qena – Beni Suef 0-0
Sohag – Al Minya 1-0
Tahta – Asyut Petroleum 0-2
Telephonat – Dayrout 1-0
National Bank – Media 2-2
Aluminium – Fayoum 1-0
Round 13 (26 January 2020)
Beni Suef – Sohag 1-0
Al Minya – Aluminium 0-2
Dayrout – National Bank 0-2
Asyut Petroleum – Shaban Qena 1-2
Media – Tahta 2-1
Fayoum – Telephonat 0-0
Round 14 (9 February 2020)
Al Minya – Beni Suef 2-2
Sohag – Asyut Petroleum 1-1
Tahta – Dayrout 1-2
Shaban Qena – Media 1-0
National Bank – Fayoum 1-0
Aluminium – Telephonat 2-2
Round 15 (16-17 February 2020)
Beni Suef – Aluminium 1-0
Media – Sohag 1-3
Asyut Petroleum – Al Minya 1-0
Dayrout – Shaban Qena 0-2
Fayoum – Tahta 1-2
Telephonat – National Bank 1-1
Round 16 (23 February 2020)
Tahta – Telephonat 2-1
Beni Suef – Asyut Petroleum 4-0
Aluminium – National Bank 1-0
Sohag – Dayrout 1-0
Al Minya – Media 3-0
Shaban Qena – Fayoum 0-0
Round 17 (8 March 2020)
Dayrout – Al Minya 2-1
Media – Beni Suef 1-1
Asyut Petroleum – Aluminium 1-0
Fayoum – Sohag 2-1
Telephonat – Shaban Qena 1-1
National Bank – Tahta 2-0
Table before the break caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
|
1 |
Beni Suef |
17 |
10 |
5 |
2 |
23-7 |
35 |
Promotion to Premier League |
|
2 |
National Bank |
17 |
10 |
5 |
2 |
22-9 |
35 |
|
|
3 |
Aluminium |
17 |
10 |
2 |
5 |
20-11 |
32 |
|
|
4 |
Shaban Qena |
17 |
8 |
7 |
2 |
14-9 |
31 |
|
|
5 |
Asyut Petroleum |
17 |
7 |
3 |
7 |
18-21 |
24 |
|
|
6 |
Telephonat |
17 |
5 |
8 |
4 |
17-16 |
23 |
|
|
7 |
Sohag |
17 |
6 |
4 |
7 |
15-14 |
22 |
|
|
8 |
Al Minya |
17 |
5 |
4 |
8 |
16-17 |
19 |
|
|
9 |
Media |
17 |
4 |
7 |
6 |
18-24 |
19 |
|
|
10 |
Fayoum |
17 |
5 |
3 |
9 |
14-17 |
18 |
|
|
11 |
Dayrout |
17 |
3 |
2 |
12 |
15-31 |
11 |
|
|
12 |
Tahta |
17 |
2 |
4 |
11 |
10-26 |
10 |
|
Round 18 (20-21 September 2020)
Sohag – Telephonat 1-0
Asyut Petroleum – Media 2-0
Al Minya – Fayoum 2-1
Beni Suef – Dayrout 5-2
Aluminium – Tahta 2-2
Shaban Qena – National Bank 0-2
Round 19 (26 September 2020)
National Bank – Sohag 1-1
Telephonat – Al Minya 1-3
Tahta – Shaban Qena 1-1
Fayoum – Beni Suef 0-1
Media – Aluminium 1-3
Dayrout – Asyut Petroleum 0-0
Round 20 (1 October 2020)
Beni Suef – Telephonat 0-1
Al Minya – National Bank 1-1
Media – Dayrout 1-0
Aluminium – Shaban Qena 4-1
Asyut Petroleum – Fayoum 3-1
Sohag – Tahta 1-1
Round 21 (7 October 2020)
National Bank – Beni Suef 2-0
Telephonat – Asyut Petroleum 1-1
Dayrout – Aluminium 2-4
Tahta – Al Minya 2-4
Fayoum – Media 1-0
Shaban Qena – Sohag 1-0
Round 22 (12 October 2020)
Media – Telephonat 0-2
Sohag – Aluminium 0-0
Asyut Petroleum – National Bank 1-1
Al Minya – Shaban Qena 3-1
Dayrout – Fayoum 2-1
Beni Suef – Tahta 2-0
Final table
|
1 |
National Bank |
22 |
12 |
8 |
2 |
29-12 |
44 |
[2]Promoted to Premier League |
|
2 |
Beni Suef |
22 |
13 |
5 |
4 |
31-12 |
44 |
|
|
3 |
Aluminium |
22 |
13 |
4 |
5 |
33-17 |
43 |
|
|
4 |
Shaban Qena |
22 |
9 |
8 |
5 |
18-19 |
35 |
|
|
5 |
Asyut Petroleum |
22 |
9 |
6 |
7 |
25-24 |
33 |
|
|
6 |
Al Minya |
22 |
9 |
5 |
8 |
29-23 |
32 |
|
|
7 |
Telephonat |
22 |
7 |
9 |
6 |
22-21 |
30 |
|
|
8 |
Sohag |
22 |
7 |
7 |
8 |
18-17 |
28 |
|
|
9 |
Media |
22 |
5 |
7 |
10 |
20-32 |
22 |
|
|
10 |
Fayoum |
22 |
6 |
3 |
13 |
18-25 |
21 |
|
|
11 |
Dayrout |
22 |
4 |
3 |
15 |
21-42 |
15 |
|
|
12 |
Tahta |
22 |
2 |
7 |
13 |
16-36 |
13 |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment