They are both desperate to win. Ahly snatched a 1-1 away draw with Heartland of Nigeria two weeks ago, while Ismaili are pointless after being beaten 1-0 at home by the JS Kabylie of Algeria.
Ahly coach Hossam el-Badri is wary as Ismaili are a strong team. He will use Ahmed Fathi instead of Sherif Abdel-Fadil on the right wing, while the latter will be in charge of the defence instead of Ahmed el-Sayyed.
"The game will be very difficult for both teams, as the two haven’t done very well so far," el-Badri says. "Ismaili's performance against Kabylie won’t make things any easier for us, as every match is different." Lebanon’s Mohamed Ghaddar will make his debut for Ahly in attack beside Liberia’s Francis Doe.
However, Ahly's mercurial 33-year-old midfielder Mohamed Barakat is likely to miss Sunday's clash after undergoing minor eye surgery.
Barakat is one of Ahly's most consistent performers, with his energetic displays proving a huge asset for el-Badri's side.
His second-half introduction helped the Cairo giants secure a 1-1 draw at Nigeria's Heartland in their Champions League group stage opener earlier this month.
Egypt forward Mohamed Nagui 'Gedo' could make his Ahly debut against Ismaili after joining from Al-Ittihad Alexandria in the close season in a controversial move. He is likely to be punished Sunday by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) for signing a deal with Zamalek before extending his contract with Al-Ittihad last January.
In related news, Ahly's group of ardent supporters, Ultras Ahlawy, decided on Friday night to boycott the team's games in protest at the way they’ve been treated by the police. "We will start our boycott on Sunday ," Ultras Ahlawy said in a statement. "We will freeze our activities because the security forces are persistently chasing us.
" Ultras Ahlawy usually clash with the police, but their hostile relationship took another twist during a friendly game between the Red Devils and Kafr el-Sheikh earlier this month in Cairo.
Tens of them were injured when police tried to force them to put out their fireworks, which are prohibited inside Egyptian stadiums, according to FilGoal.com.
The Ultras groups in Egypt have been constantly criticised by the media from the day they emerged.
They are always accused of stirring hatred and putting the lives of other 'friendly supporters' at risk. However, some people give them credit for the enthusiastic atmosphere they create inside the stadiums.
The EFA has decided to punish any club whose fans lift inappropriate banners or light Roman Candles this season. Ahly fans were not allowed to bring any banners into the stadium during the Egyptian Super Cup last Sunday, which their team won after beating Harras Al-Hodoud 1-0.
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