CAIRO — Ceramica Cleopatra secured a win over Ismaili, while both the Al-Masry vs. El-Gouna and NBE Club vs. Pharco FC matches concluded in goalless draws, wrapping up the second round of the 2024-2025 Egyptian Premier League season.
The Egyptian Premier League is on a 12-day hiatus from November 11 to 19, due to the international break. During this period, the Egyptian national team is scheduled to play two crucial matches against Cape Verde on the 15th and Botswana on the 19th in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
These matches are part of the fifth and sixth rounds of the qualification campaign for the tournament, which is set to take place in Morocco.
At the Arab Contractors Stadium, Ceramica Cleopatra edged past Ismaili with a narrow 1-0 win, thanks to a goal by South African forward Fakhry Lakai in the 43rd minute of the first-half.
This victory boosted Ceramica Cleopatra’s points tally to three, moving them up to 8th place, while Ismaili remained in 15th with just one point.
“We didn’t start the match well. We tried to approach it the same way as our previous game, but we made some changes in the second-half and improved,” Ismaili’s general coach, Ahmed Hossam, said in a post-match interview with “On Time Sports.”
Ismaili is currently in crisis, with FIFA maintaining the club’s registration ban due to unresolved player dues.
Hossam added, “This is a difficult and exceptional season due to the registration ban, so we have to play players out of position, including those who didn’t feature last season.”
Despite the difficulties, Hossam expressed his gratitude to the fans: “I want to thank the fans for their unwavering support. They understand the challenging circumstances and continue to stand by us.”
Ceramica Cleopatra coach Ahmed Mustafa commented on the win, saying, “It’s an important victory for us, even though the performance wasn’t up to par. We missed chances, just as we did against Al-Ahly, but we’re thankful for the win.”
Mustafa also noted, “The first-half was better than the second. We went through a period without winning at the end of last season, during the Egyptian Super Cup, and at the start of this season, which made the players anxious. But thank God, we finally won.”
The match started with Ceramica Cleopatra putting early pressure on Ismaili’s defense in an attempt to score quickly. In the fourth minute, play was briefly halted when Ismaili midfielder Mohamed Bayoumi sustained an injury and was substituted by Burkina Faso’s Eric Traore.
Ceramica Cleopatra maintained pressure and earned a corner in the 35th minute. Algerian forward Ahmed Belhadj orchestrated a series of short passes, but the attack ended with an offside call.
Soon after, left-winger Mahmoud Abdel Hafiz Zalaka had a goal disallowed after a VAR review confirmed an offside. His frustration continued when another attempt was ruled out for offside in the 49th minute.
The breakthrough came in the 42nd minute when Belhadj delivered a perfectly timed through ball, cutting through Ismaili’s defense to find Lakai, who calmly slotted it home, giving Ceramica Cleopatra the lead.
In the dying moments, Ceramica Cleopatra almost doubled their lead when Islam Aisa sent in a corner, and Zalaka’s header was brilliantly saved by Ismaili goalkeeper Ahmed Adel Abdel Moneim, forcing another corner.
At Borg El-Arab Stadium in Alexandria, Al-Masry of Port Said failed to extend their winning streak after a previous victory over El-Geish, missing a key opportunity to secure a win against El-Gouna.
The result brought Al-Masry’s points tally to 4 from two matches, placing them 4th in the standings, while El-Gouna moved up to 11th with 2 points.
Al-Masry started the game with intensity, putting early pressure on El-Gouna’s defense. However, under the helm of coach Alaa Abdel Aal, El-Gouna successfully fended off all attacks, displaying a solid defensive performance that prevented Al-Masry from breaking through.
The match featured several missed opportunities, including a disallowed goal by striker Salah Mohsen in the first-half. Referee Ibrahim Mohamed ruled the goal offside after consulting VAR.
Al-Masry dominated possession and applied consistent pressure on El-Gouna’s goal throughout most of the game, but El-Gouna’s defense remained resolute, securing a well-earned point.
At Al-Salam Stadium in Cairo, NBE Club and Pharco FC played to a goalless draw.
This result earned Pharco their first point of the season, placing them 15th in the standings, while NBE Club sits in 13th, also with one point.
The match featured several missed scoring opportunities from both sides. NBE Club posed threats through Togolese left-winger Yaw Annor and striker Osama Faisal, while Pharco’s attacks were led by Ahmed Sherif and Amr Nasser.
