The best of 2024

The year 2024 was not one of the best for the nine teams we are writing about here: Bourj FC, Fayoum SC, Cusco FC, 1. FK Svidník, FK Tryavna 1922, Total Soccer, Maaraba SC, Kamonyi FC, and Maardu Linnameeskond II. The situation was perhaps better, at least in a part of the year, for Bourj FC, Fayoum SC, and Cusco FC. These teams are among the best performers in 2024. Kamonyi FC had a rather average year. The year is one to be forgotten for 1. FK Svidník, FK Tryavna 1922, and Total Soccer. Just like in the previous years, Maaraba SC and Maardu Linnameeskond II did not compete in this year either.

Bourj FC had a good first part of the year and finished in fourth place in the Lebanese Premier League, one of their best ever. Nevertheless, even since the start of 2024, there were rumours that the owner Fadi Nasser will leave Bourj FC, which eventually happened at the end of the 2023-2024. The club survived, with heavy losses, given that many players went away. The 2024-2025 season started in September, but only one round was played, when the season had to be suspended due to Israeli attacks and bombing. Training resumed in December, but it is yet to be confirmed if or when the Lebanese Premier League will resume.

Fayoum SC had a fairly good first part of the year, finishing in second place in Group B of the Egyptian Second Division B. However, this was not enough for promotion to the Second Division A. In the new 2024-2025 season, they started poorly and are among the bottom-classified teams, fighting for survival, instead of promotion.

Cusco FC had their best season in years, finishing in fifth place in the Peruvian Liga 1 and qualifying for the 2025 Copa Sudamericana. Manager Miguel Rondelli succeeded to create a good team, and will continue his work in 2025, as well.

Kamonyi FC had an average performance, finishing in ninth place in Group A of the 2023-2024 Rwandan Second Division. The start of the 2024-2025 season was not great either, as they are in the second half of the table at this moment.

Moving to the big disappointments of 2024, one has to point out that 1. FK Svidník were relegated at the end of the 2023-2024 season of the Slovak Third Division, East Group, as they finished last. Instead of fighting to promote back, they are involved again in the struggle to avoid relagation, this time from the Slovak Fourth League - East Group. Something has to be done quickly to stop the decline.

Even worse, FK Tryavna 1922 stopped competing altogether at senior level in 2024. They finished the 2023-2024 season of the regional Gabrovo League in second place, short of winning (again) the league, but then they did not enrol for the 2024-2025 season, a very heavy blow for football in Tryavna. The club still maintains some of its junior level teams, but the senior team should be back in business as soon as possible.

Total Soccer was another big disappointment in 2024. After two exceptional years, in which the team achieved everything that was possible at amateur level in Colombia, becoming twice champions of the Primera C, in 2024 they were eliminated from Primera C even from the first (group) stage, and they classified second to last in the Antioquia League top tier, Primera A, which will probably involve a relegation to Antioquia Primera B in 2025.

Maaraba SC and Maardu Linnameeskond II saw no action in 2024.

Best team

Cusco FC

Best performance

Alianza Lima - Cusco FC 1-2 (last round of the Peruvian First League, 3 November 2024)

Best manager

Miguel Rondelli (Cusco FC)

Best player

Ivan Colman (Cusco FC)

A Happy New Year to everyone!

2024-2025 Egyptian Second Division B, Group B

2024-2025 Egyptian Second Division B, Group B

 

Season	2024-2025
Dates	10 October 2024 – May 2025
Champions Qualified to play-offs
Promoted
Relegated
Matches played
Goals scored
Biggest home win	Telephonat – M.S. Tamya 5-1 (round 4, 28 October 2024) Al Badari – M.S. Tamya 4-0 (round 12, 20 December 2024)
Biggest away win	Misr Lel Makkasa – Asyut Cement 0-3 (round 9, 22 November 2024) Tamya – FC Masar 1-4 (round 13, 3 January 2025)
Highest scoring	Telephonat – M.S. Tamya 5-1 (round 4, 28 October 2024)
Longest winning run	FC Masar – 5 matches (rounds 11-15)
Longest unbeaten run	Asyut Cement – 9 matches (rounds 2-11)
Longest winless run	Beni Mazar – 7 matches (rounds 7-13)
Longest losing run	Fayoum SC – 4 matches (rounds 2-5) Beni Mazar – 4 matches (rounds 8-11)

 

Competition details and format

 

The Egyptian Second Division B is the third tier in the Egyptian football system, having been established as such in 2023. The 2024-2025 season is the second season of the Second Division B and is organized by the Egyptian Football Association. Just like in the first season, teams are distributed across six groups, but the number of teams increased from 56 to 65, and therefore each group includes either 10 teams (groups A and C), 11 teams (groups B, D, and F) or 12 teams (group E). The teams are distributed according to their geographical location: groups A and B include teams from Upper Egypt, groups C and D – teams from Greater Cairo and the North-East, and groups E and F – teams from Alexandria and the North-West.

The format for the 2024-2025 season was adjusted from the previous season, changes being confirmed and released on 26 September 2024. While last year the winners of each group gained promotion to the next year Second Division, this season the top three classified in each group will qualify for the promotion play-offs, forming three groups of six teams: the first group with the top three teams from groups A and B, the second group with the top teams from groups C and D, and the third group with the top three teams from groups E and F. The winners of each of these three groups will promote to the Second Division, meaning that there will be only three teams promoted, instead of previous season’s six. Teams classified bottom in each of the original six groups are to be relegated to the Third Division, just like before.

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 18 to 22 rounds, depending on the group. In groups A and C there are 5 matches in a round, in groups B, D and F there are also 5 matches in each round, and one team receives a bye in each round, because there are 11 teams in each group, while in group E there are six matches in a round. The competition started on 9 October 2024, with matches in groups E and F. In Group B, the season started on 10 October 2024. The season is scheduled to end in May 2025 with the promotion play-offs. Games in Group B are played usually on Fridays afternoon, rarely in other days.

In Group B, the main contenders for promotion are considered newly-promoted FC Masar, along with Misr Lel Makkasa, which had just been relegated from the Second Division. Other teams, such as Asyut Cement, El Minya, and Egypt Stars are also expected to compete well and to try to reach the top three and to qualify for the promotion play-offs. At half-season, FC Masar were in top position, two points ahead of Asyut Cement and seven points ahead of Misr Lel Makasa. Egypt Stars and Telephonat Beni Suef came in fourth and fifth place respectively, even farther away from the leaders, but maintaining certain chances to get to the final top three.

The fight to avoid the only one relegation spot involves most of the other teams. Newly-promoted Al Badari, along with Beni Mazar, Tamya, Al Wasta, and Fayoum are among the most vulnerable. At half-season, Beni Mazar were bottom of the table, two points behind Fayoum and three points behind Al Wasta and Al Badari.

 

Team changes from the 2023-2024

 

To the Second Division B, Group B

 

Promoted from the Third Division

 

FC Masar

Al Badari

 

Relegated from the Second Division

 

Misr Lel Makkasa

 

Transferred from Second Division B, Group A

 

Asyut Cement

 

From the Second Division B

 

Promoted to the Second Division

 

Tersana

 

Relegated to the Third Division

 

M.S. Maghagha

 

Teams

 

Note that some of the teams play their home games outside their home town.

 

Team	Home town	Governorate	Stadium	Town	2023-2024
Misr Lel Makkasa	Fayoum	Fayoum	Alassiouty Sport Resort	Beni Suef	20th (last) in the Second Division, relegated
Fayoum SC	Fayoum	Fayoum	College of Agriculture	Giza	2nd in the Second Division B, Gr. B
El Minya SC	Minya	Minya	Minya	Minya	3rd in the Second Division B, Gr. B
Asyut Cement	Asyut	Asyut	Asyut Cement	Asyut	3rd in the Second Division B, Gr. A
Egypt Stars	Al Wasta	Beni Suef	Egypt Stars	Al Wasta	4th in the Second Division B, Gr. B
Telephonat	Beni Suef	Beni Suef	ESCO	Giza	5th in the Second Division B, Gr. B
Al Wasta SC	Al Wasta	Beni Suef	Al Wasta	Al Wasta	6th in the Second Division B, Gr. B
M.S. Tamya	Tamya	Fayoum	Egypt Stars	Al Wasta	7th in the Second Division B, Gr. B
Beni Mazar SC	Beni Mazar	Minya	Matay	Matay	8th in the Second Division B, Gr. B
Al Badari	Al Badari	Asyut	Al Badari	Al Badari	1st in the Third Division, Group C, promoted
FC Masar	6th of October	Giza	Right to Dream	6th of October	1st in the Third Division, Group D, promoted[1]

 

Geographical distribution of the teams

 

Teams in Group B are located in the governorates of Asyut, Minya, Beni Suef, and Fayoum, and there is one team from Giza Governorate.

 

Location of teams	No. of teams	Name of teams
Beni Suef Governorate	3	Telephonat Beni Suef, Al Wasta, Egypt Stars
Fayoum Governorate	3	Misr Lel Makkasa, Fayoum, M.S. Tamya
Minya Governorate	2	El Minya, Beni Mazar
Asyut Governorate	2	Asyut Cement, Al Badari
Giza Governorate	1	FC Masar

 

Round 1 (10-12 October 2024)

 

Asyut Cement – FC Masar 1-2

Egypt Stars – Misr Lel Makkasa 0-1

Telephonat – Al Wasta 2-2

Beni Mazar – El Minya 0-2

Tamya – Al Badari 2-0 (awarded because Al Badari used a suspended player; initially 1-1 on the field)

Fayoum bye

 

Round 2 (18 October 2024)

 

El Minya – Telephonat 0-0

FC Masar – Tamya 2-0

Al Wasta – Asyut Cement 0-2

Misr Lel Makkasa – Beni Mazar 3-0

Al Badari – Fayoum 2-1

Egypt Stars bye

 

Round 3 (25-26 October 2024)

 

Asyut Cement – Telephonat 1-0

Fayoum – FC Masar 1-2

Misr Lel Makkasa – El Minya 1-0

Egypt Stars – Al Badari 2-0

Tamya – Al Wasta 1-1

Beni Mazar bye

 

Round 4 (28-29 October 2024)

 

El Minya – Asyut Cement 0-1

Telephonat – Tamya 5-1

Al Wasta – Fayoum 2-0

FC Masar – Egypt Stars 2-0

Al Badari – Beni Mazar 1-1

Misr Lel Makkasa bye

 

Round 5 (1-2 November 2024)

 

Egypt Stars – Al Wasta 3-0

Fayoum – Telephonat 1-2

Misr Lel Makkasa – Al Badari 1-0

Beni Mazar – FC Masar 1-1

Tamya – Asyut Cement 0-1

El Minya bye

 

Round 6 (8 November 2024)

 

FC Masar – Misr Lel Makkasa 1-0

El Minya – Tamya 2-1

Telephonat – Egypt Stars 0-0

Al Wasta – Beni Mazar 1-2

Asyut Cement – Fayoum 0-0

Al Badari bye

 

Round 7 (15 November 2024)

 

Misr Lel Makkasa – Al Wasta 1-0

Al Badari – El Minya 1-0

Egypt Stars – Asyut Cement 1-1

Fayoum – Tamya 3-2

Beni Mazar – Telephonat 0-0

FC Masar bye

 

Round 8 (18 November 2023)

 

Egypt Stars – Tamya 2-3

El Minya – Fayoum 0-0

Asyut Cement – Beni Mazar 3-0

FC Masar – Al Badari 2-1

Telephonat – Misr Lel Makkasa 3-0

Al Wasta bye

 

Round 9 (22 November 2024)

 

Misr Lel Makkasa – Asyut Cement 0-3

FC Masar – El Minya 3-2

Egypt Stars – Fayoum 1-0

Al Badari – Al Wasta 0-0

Beni Mazar – Tamya 2-3

Telephonat bye

 

Round 10 (29 November 2024)

 

Al Wasta – FC Masar 2-1

El Minya – Egypt Stars 1-1

Tamya – Misr Lel Makkasa 2-1

Fayoum – Beni Mazar 1-0

Telephonat – Al Badari 2-2

Asyut Cement bye

 

Round 11 (6 December 2024)

 

FC Masar – Telephonat 3-0

Misr Lel Makkasa – Fayoum 1-0

Beni Mazar – Egypt Stars 2-3

El Minya – Al Wasta 3-1

Al Badari – Asyut Cement 1-3

Tamya bye

 

Table at half-season

 

1	FC Masar	10	8	1	1	19-8	25	Qualification to promotion play-offs
2	Asyut Cement	10	7	2	1	16-4	23	Qualification to promotion play-offs
3	Misr Lel Makkasa	10	6	0	4	9-9	18	Qualification to promotion play-offs
4	Egypt Stars	10	4	3	3	13-10	15
5	Telephonat	10	3	5	2	14-10	14
6	Tamya	10	4	1	5	15-19	13
7	El Minya	10	3	3	4	10-9	12
8	Al Badari	10	2	3	5	8-14	9
9	Al Wasta	10	2	3	5	9-15	9
10	Fayoum	10	2	2	6	7-12	8
11	Beni Mazar	10	1	3	6	8-18	6	Relegation to the Third Division

 

In case that two or more teams are equal on points, the goal difference is the main ranking criterion.

 

Round 12 (20-21 December 2024)

 

Misr Lel Makkasa – Egypt Stars 3-0

Al Wasta – Telephonat 1-1

El Minya – Beni Mazar 1-1

Al Badari – Tamya 4-0

FC Masar – Asyut Cement 2-0

Fayoum bye

 

Round 13 (3 January 2025)

 

Telephonat – El Minya 1-1

Tamya – FC Masar 1-4

Asyut Cement – Al Wasta 0-1

Beni Mazar – Misr Lel Makkasa 0-1

Fayoum – Al Badari 2-1

Egypt Stars bye

 

Round 14 (10 January 2025)

 

Telephonat – Asyut Cement 1-1

FC Masar – Fayoum 1-0

El Minya – Misr Lel Makkasa 1-1

Al Badari – Egypt Stars 0-1

Al Wasta – Tamya 0-2 (awarded because the home side failed to provide security)

Beni Mazar bye

 

Round 15 (17 January 2025)

 

Asyut Cement – El Minya 2-1

Tamya – Telephonat 0-2

Fayoum – Al Wasta 3-2

Egypt Stars – FC Masar 0-2

Beni Mazar – Al Badari 1-0

Misr Lel Makkasa bye

 

Table

 

1	FC Masar	14	12	1	1	28-9	37	Qualification to promotion play-offs
2	Asyut Cement	14	8	3	3	19-9	27	Qualification to promotion play-offs
3	Misr Lel Makkasa	13	8	1	4	14-10	25	Qualification to promotion play-offs
4	Telephonat	14	4	8	2	19-13	20
5	Egypt Stars	13	5	3	5	14-15	18
6	Tamya	14	5	1	8	18-29	16
7	El Minya	14	3	6	5	14-14	15
8	Fayoum	13	4	2	7	12-16	14
9	Al Wasta	14	3	4	7	13-21	13
10	Al Badari	14	3	3	8	13-18	12
11	Beni Mazar	13	2	4	7	10-20	10	Relegation to the Third Division

 

In case that two or more teams are equal on points, the goal difference is the main ranking criterion.

 

Round 16 (24-25 January 2025)

 

Al Wasta – Egypt Stars

Telephonat – Fayoum

Al Badari – Misr Lel Makkasa

Asyut Cement – Tamya

FC Masar – Beni Mazar

El Minya bye

 

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[1] FC Masar played under the name Tutankhamon in the Third Division, changing the name in summer 2024.