CAIRO — Zamalek secured a valuable 3-2 victory over NBE Club. Pyramids FC and Petrojet fought to an exciting 1-1 draw, while Al-Ittihad Alexandria achieved a crucial win against Pharco in the opening round of the 2024-2025 Egyptian Premier League.
At Al-Salam Stadium, Zamalek took the lead in the 37th minute with a goal from midfielder Nasser Maher, who finished a brilliant pass from playmaker Abdullah el-Said.
NBE equalized in the 50th minute when attacking midfielder Mohamed Helal scored from the penalty spot. Just three minutes later, Zamalek striker Nasser Mansy restored his team’s lead with a powerful shot, making it 2-1.
Helal struck again in the 76th minute, converting his second penalty to level the score for NBE.
As the match seemed headed for a draw, El-Said secured win for Zamalek with a penalty kick in the 90+7th minute.
NBE manager Tareq Mustafa was sent off in the 90+2nd minute for protesting the referee’s decisions, adding to the drama of the final moments.
At Cairo’s Air Defence Stadium, Petrojet’s Nigerian forward Gabriel Chukwudi opened the scoring in the 3rd minute, skillfully capitalizing on a brilliant through ball that split Pyramids’ defense. Chukwudi dribbled past goalkeeper Ahmed el-Shenawy and calmly slotted the ball into the empty net.
However, Petrojet’s lead was short-lived, as Pyramids equalized in the 7th minute with a powerful shot from Congolese striker Fiston Mayele, which deflected off a defender and rolled into the net.
Just ten minutes later, Petrojet faced frustration when a goal was disallowed for offside.
In the 57th minute, VAR intervened again, ruling out a second goal by midfielder Hamid Hamdan, who was flagged offside after a defensive error from Pyramids’ playmaker Youssef Obama.
Pyramids’ striker Ibrahim Adel nearly gave his team the lead, but his low shot deflected off a defender and went wide for a corner, posing little threat to the goal.
The first-half concluded in a 1-1 draw, with Petrojet’s disallowed goal marking a pivotal moment.
In the second-half, both teams exchanged dangerous attacks; Pyramids sought a winner while Petrojet aimed to maintain the draw.
Despite a series of near misses, both goalkeepers delivered standout performances with crucial saves.
As the match neared its end, the final minutes featured thrilling end-to-end action, but neither team found the decisive goal, resulting in a 1-1 draw.
At Borg el-Arab Stadium in Alexandria, Al-Ittihad of Alexandria secured a crucial 1-0 victory over Pharco in a closely contested match.
Nigerian striker Emmanuel Apeh scored the decisive goal in the 66th minute, skillfully breaking past Pharco’s goalkeeper Mohamed Said and firing into the net.
The first-half saw both teams approach the game with extreme caution, resulting in a goalless stalemate. Neither side created any significant scoring chances, with play largely confined to short passes in midfield.
The intensity picked up in the second-half as both teams searched for the breakthrough.
In the 67th minute, Al-Ittihad capitalized on a defensive error from Pharco, with Apeh breaking into the penalty area and unleashing a powerful shot to give his side the lead.
In the closing minutes, Pharco launched several attempts to level the score, but Al-Ittihad’s defense held firm. Ittihad’s goalkeeper Mahdi Suleiman put in an outstanding performance, making several key saves to preserve his team’s lead.
Despite Pharco’s late pressure, they were unable to find an equalizer, and Al-Ittihad walked away with a valuable win.
At Suez Stadium, Al-Masry of Port Said scored their first goal in the 52nd minute, thanks to a brilliant cross from midfielder Mohamed Makhlouf, who delivered the ball from the middle of Tala’ea el-Geish’s defensive half.
Striker Salah Mohsen, named Man of the Match, was perfectly positioned inside the penalty area and headed the ball powerfully into the net.
In the 87th minute, midfielder Mahmoud Hamada of Al-Masry fired a powerful shot from outside the penalty area that found the left side of the net.
At Khaled Beshara Stadium in Gouna, ZED FC and El-Gouna played to a goalless draw.
ZED controlled the match with 60 per cent possession compared to El-Gouna’s 40 per cent.
A key moment came in the 12th minute when El-Gouna was awarded a penalty after ZED’s playmaker, Ammar Hamdi, handled the ball in the box.
Bilal el-Sayed took the penalty for El-Gouna, but ZED’s goalkeeper, Ali Lotfy, made an impressive save.
Despite ZED’s dominance in the second-half, neither team scored, resulting in a goalless draw and both earning their first point of the season.
