[1] Ceramica Cleopatra entered the tournament as the defending champion, having won the previous edition after beating Al Masry 4–1 in the final.
This round was played during the league's January/February break, due to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations taking place from 13 January to 11 February 2024.
If two or more teams are tied on points, the following tiebreaking criteria are applied, in the order given, to determine the rankings:[4] On 11 September 2023, the prizes for the 2023–24 season were announced by the EPL.
[5] The draw for the group stage was held at the Egyptian Football Association headquarters in Gezira, Cairo on 31 December 2023, 14:00 CAT.
[6][7] Al Ahly announced their withdrawal from the competition on 20 December 2023, citing injuries and tight schedule faced by the club in the last few weeks before the draw.