CAIRO — Round 12 of the Egyptian Premier League delivered plenty of drama as Ceramica Cleopatra regained top spot with a 1–0 win over Kahraba Ismailia. Traditional powerhouses Al-Ahly and Zamalek both faltered in their title chase, each settling for 1–1 draws against Petrojet and NBE Club respectively, while Pharco FC finally broke their winless streak, edging Ismaily 1–0.
Ceramica 1–0 Kahraba
Ceramica Cleopatra continued their impressive run with a hard-fought 1–0 win over Kahraba Ismailia at the Suez Canal Authority Stadium, moving back to the top of the table.
The breakthrough came in the 58th minute when Kahraba defender Mohamed Yassine Abouzra turned the ball into his own net.
Ceramica controlled the game from start to finish, leaving Kahraba struggling to make any real attacking impact.
The win lifts Ceramica to 23 points at the summit, while Kahraba remains stranded in 20th with just 8 points.
Zamalek 1-1 NBE
Zamalek was forced to settle for a 1–1 draw against NBE Club at Cairo International Stadium.
Striker Osama Faisal opened the scoring for NBE from the penalty spot in the 30th minute, before Angolan forward Chico Banza hit back three minutes later to draw the White Knights level.
Zamalek pressed early and sought to control the game, while NBE looked dangerous on the break. Faisal’s composed finish against his former side briefly silenced the home crowd, but Banza’s swift reply ensured the spoils were shared.
The result keeps Zamalek fourth on 19 points from 11 games, while NBE sits on 15 points in 9th place.
Al-Ahly 1–1 Petrojet
Al-Ahly’s title chase hit another bump as the Red Devils were held to a 1–1 draw by Petrojet at the Military Academy Stadium.
Petrojet shocked the visitors early as midfielder Hamed Hamdan capitalised on a mistake from goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy to head home in the 11th minute.
Substitute Nejc Gradisar made an instant impact for Al-Ahly, the Slovenian striker netting with his very first touch just three minutes after coming on in the 61st minute to restore parity.
Despite dominating possession and carving out several clear chances, Al-Ahly was repeatedly thwarted by Petrojet’s outstanding keeper Omar Salah.
The result sees Al-Ahly slips to third on 22 points, while Petrojet climbs to 13th with 15 points.
El-Gouna 1–0 Smouha
El-Gouna snatched a dramatic late victory over Smouha, with Mohamed El-Nahass netting the decisive goal in the 80th minute.
Smouha squandered a golden chance to level the score when striker Hossam Ashraf missed an 89th-minute penalty following a dispute with teammate Senegalese Pape Badji over who would take it.
The visitors’ frustration deepened as Nigerian winger Samuel Amadi was sent off for violent conduct in stoppage time.
The win lifts El-Gouna to 14th place on 15 points, while Smouha remains 11th, also with 15 points.
Degla 2–1 Al-Ittihad
Wadi Degla continued their solid run with a 2-1 away victory over Al-Ittihad of Alexandria at Alexandria Stadium.
Left-winger Mahmoud Diasty opened the scoring for Degla in the 27th minute, before right-winger Islam Samir equalised for Al-Ittihad midway through the second-half. Degla reclaimed the lead through forward Zyad Osama in the 83rd minute.
Tempers flared in stoppage time as Al-Ittihad defender Mostafa Ibrahim was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Degla goalkeeper Amr Hossam.
The victory propelled Wadi Degla to fifth place on 19 points, while Al-Ittihad rooted in 19th with just 8 points.
Pharco 1–0 Ismaily
Pharco FC claimed their first league win of the season with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Ismaily at Borg El-Arab Stadium in Alexandria.
Senegalese forward Ibrahima Ndiaye netted the winner in first-half stoppage time, finishing emphatically after a clever backheel assist from striker Karim El-Tayeb.
The victory lifted Pharco FC to 18th on 9 points, while Ismaily sank to the bottom of the table in 21st place with just 7 points.
El-Geish 2–2 ZED FC
Talae El-Geish and ZED FC shared the spoils in an entertaining 2-2 draw.
Left-winger Kareem Tarek scored twice for El-Geish (8’, 38’), while defender Mohamed Rabia (35’) and playmaker Moustafa Saad “Messi” (90+4’) found the net for ZED.
El-Geish led twice, but ZED’s late equaliser ensured a point apiece in a closely contested encounter.
With the draw, ZED FC moved up to 16 points, occupying eighth place after 12 matches, with a record of 4 wins, 4 draws, and 4 defeats.
Talae El-Geish, meanwhile, climbed to 10 points, sitting 16th in the table with 2 wins, 4 draws, and 6 losses.
