CAIRO – Cairo powerhouse Al-Ahly claimed victory in the 12th matchday of the 2022/2023 Egyptian Premier League as arch-rivals Zamalek snatched a precious draw against Al- Dakhleya.
At Arab Contractors Stadium, Al-Ahly defeated Enppi 2-0.
Playmaker Mohamed Magdi ‘Afsha’ opened the scoring in the 59th minute, as Malian midfielder Aliou Dieng doubled the score in the 79th minute.
The result cemented Al-Ahly position on top of the domestic league table with 30 points from 12 matches.
Enppi remained at 14th place with 10 points from 12 matches.
The Red Devils started the game with frontline pressure as they were searching to break the deadlock early.
They had first chance in the 5th minute, but Enppi’s goalkeeper managed to block striker Mohamed Sherif’s shot.
They kept pushing to score the early opener, and they had another chance in the 13th minute.
Playmaker ‘Afsha’ sent a beautiful pass to winger Hussien el-Shahat inside the box, but his shot was blocked by Enppi’s defense.
The Red Devils kept searching to score, but Enppi’s defenders stood their ground and managed to clear all the chances as the first half ended with a goalless draw.
Al-Ahly started the second half with the same pressure to score the opener. After missing several attempts, they managed to take the lead, thanks to Afsha’s efforts in the 59th minute.
Midfielder Amr el-Soulia sent a sensational pass to Afsha, who dribbled past the defender and the goalkeeper, then delivered the ball into the back of the net.
In the 73rd minute, Afsha was close to putting his name again on the scoring sheet. He received the ball at the edge of the box and tried his luck, but his shot went over the bar.
Malian midfielder Aliou Dieng managed to score a beautiful goal in the 77th minute.
Dieng received the ball in the midfield and managed to dribble past Enppi’s players before firing a sensational shot into the top left corner.
Ahly’s Marcel Koller used his bench in the 83rd minute, as defender Ramy Rabia, Brazilian winger Bruno Savio, and striker Shady Hussien joined the game instead of Mohamed Hany, Ahmed Abdelkader, and Mohamed Sherief.
Two minutes later, Ahmed Nabil Koka and Moustafa Saad entered the field instead of El-Soulia and Afsha.
At Cairo International Stadium, defending champions Zamalek snatched a disappointing 1-1 draw against Al-Dakhleya.
Al-Dakhleya winger Samir Fekri opened the scoring in the 25th minute as defender Mohamed Abdel-Ghani grabbed the equaliser for Zamalek in the 90+5 minute.
The draw left Zamalek to 2nd place at the table with 25 points from 12 matches as Al-Dakhleya slipped to 16th place with 9 points from 16 games.
