Al Ahly are barely clinging on in the title race for the 2021-22 Egyptian Premier League season but their approach of fielding reserve players and youth system graduates is continuing to bring unexpectedly good results. In a match that was not particularly appealing to spectators, Ahly triumphed over Al Masry 2-0 courtesy of late goals including a Ramy Rabia penalty kick and Hossam Hassan’s goal in second half stoppage time. With the result Ahly are still in third place with a ten point deficit on rivals and league leaders Zamalek but only three points behind Pyramids FC in second place.
The first half featured few looks at the goal and was a struggle for both teams much less viewers of the match. For both teams the attacking impetus picked up a bit in the second half and it was only a bit of individual quality that put Ahly on top. In the 77th minute South African forward Percy Tau combined well with Hassan before lofting a pass to find the striker in the penalty area who was tripped up. Initially ruled no penalty, a Video Assistant Referee review confirmed the infraction and defender Rabia sent Masry goalkeeper Essam Tharwat the wrong way for the breakthrough. Mohamed Hany set up Hassan for a poacher’s finish in the penalty area in the final seconds for Ahly’s second.
In a battle for position in the top-5, Future FC did well to earn a 1-1 draw at Smouha in Alexandria earlier on Wednesday. Fourth placed Future, who will compete in the 2022-23 CAF Confederation Cup, took the lead in the 69th minute through Ahmed Atef whose low shot from the edge of the penalty area found its way past Smouha keeper El-Hany Soliman. The match was even on the whole however and several minutes later Smouha leveled with Guinean forward Alya Sylla turning in Nigerian forward Sodiq Awujoola’s driven cross. Future are thirteen points behind third placed Al Ahly and three points ahead of fifth placed El Gaish while Smouha’s seven-match winless streak has them in sixth.
Highlights from both games are below.
Highlights
Al Ahly 2-0 Al Masry
Smouha 1-1 Future FC
