Friday evening's meeting at the national arena in Solna, which has temporarily been fitted with artificial turf, marked the starting shot for the Swedish Cup's group stage.
In AIK, midfielders Johan Hove and Áron Csongvai, both recruited as late as on Thursday, went straight into the starting eleven.
I greeted the guys for the first time in the dressing room, I've never trained with them, says Norwegian Hove to TV4 Football.
His new midfield colleague – team captain Anton Salétros – scored 1–0 with a finely struck free kick in the 34th minute.
Degerfors equalized in the 53rd minute. Erik Lindell struck the free kick that Omar Faraj headed in via the post.
Faraj left AIK as late as in September. He went to Egyptian Zamalek, which only after a few months loaned out the striker to the Allsvenskan newcomer.
AIK and Degerfors are accompanied by Trelleborg and Värnamo in the group. The Swedish Cup continues in the coming days with the remaining matches in the eight groups, where each group winner advances to the quarterfinal.
