Egyptian giants Al Ahly secured their 39th Egypt Cup title, a record-extending feat, with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over archrivals Zamalek on Friday.
The final, played in Saudi Arabia, marked a historic first for the 91st edition of the tournament.
Emam Ashour emerged as the hero for Ahly, scoring a crucial late goal and providing the assist for Mohamed “Afsha” Magdi’s clincher in injury time.
The first half saw Zamalek threaten through Mostafa Shalaby and Nasser Mansi, but they were unable to find a breakthrough.
Ahly, initially struggling for rhythm, found their footing in the second half and capitalized on their opportunities.
Ashour’s well-timed run and close-range finish put Ahly in the lead, before Afsha’s composed strike from outside the box sealed the victory in the dying moments. This win not only cements Al Ahly’s dominance in the Egypt Cup competition, widening the gap to Zamalek by 11 titles (39 to 28), but also secures them the $950,000 prize money.