CAIRO — Round 13 of the Egyptian Premier League delivered plenty of twists, as Ceramica Cleopatra tightened their hold on top spot, defending champions Al-Ahly faltered again in their title pursuit, while Zamalek kicked off a new chapter under their new coach with a morale-boosting win.
Ceramica 2–1 Petrojet
Ceramica Cleopatra staged a stunning late comeback to snatch a 2–1 victory over Petrojet at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium, maintaining their grip at the top of the Egyptian Premier League standings.
Petrojet made a dream start, taking the lead inside the first minute when left winger Mostafa El-Badri latched onto a loose ball, skipped past defender Ragab Nabil, and calmly slotted past goalkeeper Mohamed Bassam.
Ceramica piled on the pressure but struggled to find a breakthrough until injury time, when Nigerian winger Sodiq Awujoola turned hero, scoring twice in quick succession to complete a sensational turnaround and seal all three points for his side.
The victory lifts Ceramica Cleopatra to 26 points, keeping them top of the table, while Petrojet remains 13th with 15 points after a heartbreaking defeat.
Al-Ahly 0-0 Al-Masry
Al-Ahly dropped more points in their pursuit of the Egyptian Premier League title after being held to a goalless draw by Al-Masry of Port Said at Borg El-Arab Stadium.
The defending champions dominated possession through Ahmed Sayed “Zizo”, Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet”, and Taher Mohamed, but failed to make their pressure count, with Al-Masry goalkeeper Mahmoud Hamdi producing several vital saves.
Al-Ahly’s Slovenian striker Nejc Gradisar and Yassin Marei both missed clear chances, while Al-Masry threatened on the counter. In stoppage time, Al-Ahly was awarded a penalty after Zizo was fouled, but the winger fired wide to leave the score level.
The result leaves Al-Ahly second on 23 points from 12 matches, while Al-Masry moves up to fifth with 20 from the same number of games.
Zamalek 3-1 El-Geish
Zamalek kicked off the Ahmed Abdel-Raouf era in style, claiming a confident 3–1 victory over Talae El-Geish at Cairo International Stadium, ending a four-game winless streak under former Belgian coach Yannick Ferrera.
The win provided a timely boost ahead of Zamalek’s trip to the UAE for the Egyptian Super Cup, scheduled from November 6 to 9.
Attacking midfielder Nasser Maher put the White Knights ahead after just five minutes and added a second early in the second half from an Ahmed Fattouh assist.
Brazilian winger Juan Alvina was forced off injured in the first half, replaced by Palestinian striker Oday Dabbagh, while goalkeeper El-Mahdy Soliman made his debut after coming on for Mohamed Sobhi in the 63rd minute.
Forward Mohamed Atef pulled one back for El-Geish in the 81st minute, but Zamalek remained in control to seal a deserved victory.
The victory moved Zamalek up to third on 22 points from 12 outings, leaving El-Geish stuck in 18th with 10 points from 13.
Pyramids FC 2–1 Al-Ittihad
Pyramids FC continued their steady rise in the league standings after edging Al-Ittihad of Alexandria 2–1 at the Air Defense Stadium.
Striker Marwan Hamdi opened the scoring for the hosts in the 12th minute, setting the tone for a dominant display by the Sky Blues. Forward Ahmed Atef then doubled the lead in the 80th minute, capitalizing on sustained pressure from the home side.
Al-Ittihad responded late when left-back player Karim El-Deeb converted from the penalty spot in the 86th minute, but it proved too little, too late for the Alexandrian outfit.
With the victory, Pyramids raise their tally to 20 points from just nine matches, climbing to fourth place in the table.
Al-Ittihad, on the other hand, stays in deep trouble near the bottom with eight points, sitting second from last.
Ismaily 2-1 Kahraba
Ismaily claimed a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Kahraba Ismailia in an exciting Ismailia derby clash held at the Ismailia Stadium.
Defender Abdallah Mohamed opened the scoring for the hosts in the 42nd minute, rising high to head the ball toward goal — and despite an attempted clearance by a Kahraba defender, it found its way into the net.
Kahraba responded midway through the second half, as forward Omar El-Said restored parity in the 68th minute with a precise header from a pinpoint cross delivered by right winger Mohamed Ounajem.
But Ismaily had the final say. Midfielder Mohamed Smair “Konta” sealed the win in the 83rd minute with a thunderous strike that left the Kahraba goalkeeper with no chance, earning Al-Darawish three valuable points.
The victory lifts Ismaily to 10 points, moving them up to 17th place in the league standings, while Kahraba Ismailia remains rooted to the bottom with 8 points.
Pharco FC 1-0 El-Gouna
A lone first-half strike from forward Mahmoud Farhat handed Pharco FC a narrow but crucial 1–0 win over El-Gouna in their encounter at Khaled Beshara Stadium.
Farhat made the breakthrough in the 14th minute, capitalising on a defensive lapse to slot home what proved to be the game’s only goal.
With this result, Pharco FC climbs to 12 points, moving up to 16th place, while El-Gouna stays on 15 points, slipping to 14th in the standings.
El-Mahalla 0-0 Modern
Ghazl El-Mahalla and Modern Sport battled to a 0–0 draw in a tightly contested fixture at El-Mahalla Stadium, marking El-Mahalla’s 10th draw of the season.
The game saw both sides press hard in search of a breakthrough, but clear chances were few and far between.
The turning point came in the 29th minute, when Modern’s winger Ali Fawzi squandered a golden opportunity from the penalty spot after a handball by defender Yehia Zakaria inside the area.
Despite the missed chance, the deadlock remained until the final whistle. The draw leaves both sides level on 16 points, with El-Mahalla eighth and Modern Sport 10th in the table.
