In the Egyptian Premier League’s most anticipated matchup on the weekend, Zamalek needed a last-second penalty kick to share the points with Pyramids on Sunday. With the result Zamalek remain in top spot on the league table with 41 points while Pyramids sit ten points back in third place. Al Ahly still have three games to make up on their rivals at the top but stay four points behind following their surprising 1-1 draw at home to El Gouna.
Pyramids came out with a clear purpose in their visit to Zamalek and had the better of the first-half. Star playmaker Ramadan Sobhi was influential as attackers Eric Traoré, Abdalla Bekhit and John Antwi all had opportunities to impact the game. In the 39th minute Pyramids earned the opening goal to take a 1-0 lead going into halftime. Traoré ran down the right flank and cut back low for Bekhit to settle the ball, turn and unleash a composed finish past backup Zamalek keeper Mohamed Awad.
After the break, hosts Zamalek stepped up their efforts and came out more determined to make an impact on the offensive end. Halftime substitute Shikabala provided a necessary spark with his leadership and experience to urge on the league leaders. Pyramids held out well for most of the second half but eventually Zamalek finally got their break with the awarding of a penalty kick in stoppage time. Moroccan Ashraf Bencharki made no mistake on the spot-kick to send Sherif Ekramy the wrong way and equalize.
Defending champions Al Ahly faced stiff resistance at home and were unable to get over the hurdle, drawing against mid-table El Gouna. Ahly’s packed schedule continues to impact the team’s performance on the field and the display was unconvincing, leading to a letdown in the second half that allowed Gouna to earn their point. After a scoreless first half where Ahly couldn’t finish opportunities, halftime substitute Taher Mohamed unleashed a rapid shot that skipped beyond Gouna keeper Islam Tarek. However, Ahly were burned by a former player for Gouna’s equalizer when 38-year-old defender Mohamed Naguib brilliantly flicked his header into the Ahly goal in the 86th minute.
Highlights of both games are below.
Zamalek 1-1 Pyramids
Al Ahly 1-1 El Gouna
