Al Ahly beat reigning champions Zamalek 2-0 at Cairo Stadium on Sunday night, handing their old rivals a first league defeat of the season. Two goals from distance, by Mohamed Hany and Monsef Bekrar, took Al Ahly to the top of the Egyptian Premier League on 16 points.
Hany, the right-back who was named man of the match, opened the scoring in the 39th minute with a shot from outside the Zamalek penalty area, and Al Ahly carried that lead into half-time. Bekrar, the Algerian forward, settled the game with another long-range strike with 10 minutes left. Zamalek pushed for a way back into the game after the opening goal, but they could not find a way through an Al Ahly defence that held firm until the final whistle. Slovenian referee Rade Obrenovic took charge of the 133rd Cairo derby, which was played in front of 40,000 fans.
Defeat on matchday six leaves Zamalek third on 13 points. Pyramids sit just behind Al Ahly and were due to play Ceramica Cleopatra on Monday night. The early standings carry a familiar look. Zamalek won the title last season, with Pyramids second and Al Ahly third, although Al Ahly still hold the record for Egyptian league titles with 45. Sunday’s win lifted them three points clear of their city rivals after six rounds of matches.
The win was the first over Zamalek for Hussein Ammouta, the Moroccan coach who took over at Al Ahly earlier this year. He called it “a difficult match” at his post-match press conference and said his players had kept their concentration throughout. Zamalek coach Motamed Gamal said absences and injuries had forced his side to change their style of play, and argued that they deserved at least two penalties. Former Al Ahly player Yasser Rayan told Arab News the game was average and the result expected, and he singled out a difficult second-half header saved by goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir as the “decisive” moment.
Rayan said Al Ahly had a strong squad with several new signings, while Zamalek were struggling because a transfer ban had left them unable to bring in players. Gamal said his squad had worked hard despite the disappointment and must now turn their attention to the CAF Champions League, where Zamalek face Rwandan club APR on Friday. That leaves the champions only a few days to regroup after a derby that ended their unbeaten start, while Al Ahly head into the next round of league fixtures as the team to catch.
