Al Ahly moved to the top of the Egyptian football league after beating Zamalek 2-0 in the 133rd Cairo derby during the sixth round, taking their tally to 16 points, one ahead of Pyramids, while Zamalek remained third on 13 points.
Mohamed Hany opens the scoring for Al Ahly
Al Ahly captain Mohamed Hany opened the scoring in the 39th minute with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area that changed direction after hitting a Zamalek defender before settling in goalkeeper Al Mahdi Soliman’s net. Al Ahly had come close to scoring as early as the ninth minute, when Ahmed Sayed “Zizo” broke down the right and ended his run with a powerful cross that Sofiane Benjedida met with a first-time shot over the bar.
Zamalek tried to get back into the match by applying pressure in the final minutes of the first half, but Al Ahly goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir dealt with the high balls and preserved his side’s lead until the interval.
Shobeir preserves Al Ahly’s lead
In the 57th minute, Shobeir intervened again to keep out a dangerous chance, using one hand to save a header from Ahmed Sherif and prevent Zamalek from equalising. Al Ahly dropped back to defend their lead as the match approached its conclusion, while Zamalek intensified their attacking efforts. Hossam Ashraf came close to scoring an equaliser in the 79th minute with a powerful header, but it went over the bar.
A minute later, Zamalek players appealed for a penalty after Angolan Chico Banza went down inside the penalty area following a challenge from Moroccan defender Achraf Dari. Immediately after that chance, Algerian substitute Monsef Bakrar settled the match by scoring Al Ahly’s second goal with a low shot from outside the penalty area that nestled in the right corner of Al Mahdi Soliman’s goal.
The victory put Al Ahly temporarily top of the table on 16 points, one ahead of Pyramids, who host Ceramica Cleopatra on Monday, while Zamalek remained third despite the defeat. The sixth round had earlier begun with Canal and Al Masry of Port Said drawing 1-1.
Canal took the lead in the 22nd minute through Hazem Abou Senna, who followed up a shot by his Ghanaian team-mate Mawuli Wayo after it rebounded off Al Masry goalkeeper Mahmoud Hamdy, and put the ball into the net.
Salah Mohsen equalised for Al Masry of Port Said from the penalty spot in the 74th minute. Canal moved to seven points in ninth place, ahead on goal difference of Al Masry of Port Said, who are 12th.
