CAIRO – The 2024-25 Egypt Capital Cup, previously known as the Egyptian League Cup, progressed into its fourth edition with a series of competitive fixtures.
Enppi and Petrojet claimed victories over Al-Ahly and Smouha, respectively, while Zamalek, Al-Masry, and Ghazl El-Mahalla settled for draws against El-Gouna, ZED FC, and NBE Club.
Enppi 1-0 Al-Ahly
Enppi claimed the top spot in Group C after sealing a last-minute 1-0 victory over Al-Ahly at Al-Salam Stadium.
With this win, Enppi moved to the top of the group with three points, while Al-Ahly slipped to fourth place following the first round of the group stage.
Striker Ahmed Zaki scored the decisive goal in the second minute of stoppage time, capitalizing on a defensive lapse to slot the ball past Ahly’s goalkeeper, Hamza Alaa. The late winner secured three crucial points for Enppi at the start of their campaign.
Despite sustained pressure in search of an equalizer, Al-Ahly was unable to break through, sealing Enppi’s win and a clean sheet.
Al-Ahly is set to face Talae El-Geish on Monday in the third round of the group stage.
Zamalek 1-1 El-Gouna
Zamalek salvaged a 1-1 draw against El-Gouna in their Group A encounter at Cairo International Stadium.
El-Gouna broke the deadlock in the 59th minute through right winger Ali El-Zahdi. However, Zamalek responded deep into stoppage time, with defender Mahmoud Hamdi El-Wensh heading home the equalizer in the 95th minute.
Following this result, Petrojet leads Group A with six points, followed by El-Gouna in second place with four. Zamalek sits third with one point, while Smouha and Modern Sport remain at the bottom without a point.
Al-Masry 1-1 ZED
Al-Masry of Port Said was held to a 1-1 draw against ZED FC in their Group B clash at the New Suez Stadium.
Nigerian striker John Ebuka put Al-Masry ahead in the 77th minute, but ZED FC’s forward Rashid Mohamed responded swiftly, netting the equalizer just four minutes later in the 81st minute.
Petrojet 2-1 Smouha
Petrojet secured their first victory in the Egypt Capital Cup with a 2-1 win over Smouha in a Group A matchup at Alexandria’s Borg El-Arab Stadium.
Right winger Khaled Aboziada opened the scoring for Petrojet in the 30th minute, while forward Ismaila Bamba doubled the lead in the 47th minute.
Smouha responded in the 53rd minute with a goal from center-back Mido Moustafa, but it was not enough to prevent defeat.
El-Mahalla 1-1 NBE
Ghazl El-Mahalla and NBE Club played out a 1-1 draw in their Group B encounter at Cairo International Stadium.
Atef El-Hakim gave El-Mahalla an early lead in the 5th minute, but NBE Club’s right winger Sayed Abdallah ‘Neymar’ leveled the score in the 15th minute, ensuring both sides shared the spoils.
Tournament overview
The 2024-25 Egypt Capital Cup, featuring 18 teams, is being held during the international break while the Egyptian national team competes in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The teams are divided into four groups.
Group A: Zamalek, El-Gouna, Petrojet, Modern Sport, Smouha.
Group B: Ceramica Cleopatra, Al-Masry of Port Said, ZED FC, NBE Club, Ghazl El-Mahalla.
Group C: Al-Ahly, Talae El-Geish, Enppi, Pharco FC.
Group D: Pyramids FC, Al-Ittihad of Alexandria, Ismaily, Haras El-Hodoud.
According to tournament regulations, the top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals, where the competition will shift to a knockout format until a champion is crowned.
