CAIRO — Defending champions Al-Ahly dropped their first points of the season, while Pyramids FC and Pharco FC claimed vital victories over NBE Club and Enppi, respectively, in the third round of the 2024-2025 Egyptian Premier League.
At Al-Salam Stadium, Al-Ahly was held to a 1-1 draw by Al-Ittihad of Alexandria.
Al-Ahly’s defender Ramy Rabia came close to scoring in the fourth minute, heading a corner delivered by Moroccan left-back Yahya Attiat-Allah just over the crossbar.
In the 44th minute, midfielder Imam Ashour missed a penalty for Al-Ahly, blasting the ball high over Al-Ittihad goalkeeper’s net.
In the 45th minute, Ahly winger Hussein el-Shahat took a shot, but Ittihad’s goalkeeper Mahdi Suleiman made the save, and the first-half ended in a goalless draw.
In the 57th minute of the second-half, forward Mahmoud Abdel-Moneim ‘Kahraba’ was denied by the crossbar as Al-Ahly came close to scoring.
Midfielder Amr el-Solia netted the opening goal for Al-Ahly in the 66th minute, converting a penalty that was earned by his teammate, winger Taher Mohamed.
Al-Ittihad equalized in the 88th minute when Gabonese striker Bekale Aubame unleashed a powerful left-footed shot into the net from inside the penalty area, following an accurate cross from left-back Marwan Dawood.
The result kept Al-Ahly at the top of the league standings with 7 points, level with Pyramids FC, while Al-Ittihad Alexandria stayed in third place, also with 7 points.
Swiss coach Marcel Koller, the head coach of Al-Ahly, remarked that his team created numerous attacking opportunities but fell short in converting them due to poor finishing.
During the post-match press conference, Koller highlighted that Ahly missed a penalty in the first-half. However, the team’s performance improved markedly in the second-half, resulting in a goal from another penalty.
Koller further noted that Ittihad took advantage of a defensive mistake to net the equalizer, expressing his disappointment with the final outcome.
Pyramids FC secured an impressive 3-1 victory over NBE Club in their clash at the Cairo’s Air Defence Stadium.
The match began with NBE Club exerting intense pressure, aiming to net an early goal and claim all three points.
In the 26th minute, NBE came close to breaking the deadlock when striker Ahmed Yasser Rayan broke through on goal, but Pyramids’ defender Ali Gabr made a crucial intervention, just in time to deny the effort before it reached Pyramids goalkeeper Ahmed el-Shenawy.
NBE Club took the lead through centre-back Mohamed Abdelghani, who headed in a well-placed cross from Ghanaian left-back Issahaku Yakubu one minute before the end of the first-half. The goal gave NBE a 1-0 advantage heading into halftime.
Pyramids leveled the score in the 49th minute when playmaker Mustafa Fathi expertly converted a superb cross from striker Marwan Hamdi, delivering a precise finish past NBE goalkeeper Abdelaziz el-Balouti.
Just three minutes later, Nigerian winger Sodiq Awujoola doubled Pyramids’ lead, calmly slotting home a precise pass from playmaker Mustafa Fathi.
Goalkeeper El-Shenawy played a crucial role in preserving Pyramids’ lead, pulling off a remarkable save in the 66th minute to thwart a clear scoring chance for NBE.
Awujoola struck again in the 73rd minute, pouncing on a rebound from forward Marwan Hamdi’s header to fire the ball into the net, completing his brace and sealing Pyramids’ third goal.
Despite their efforts, NBE Club failed to score further, leaving Pyramids victorious with a commanding 3-1 result.
At Alexandria’s Haras el-Hedoud Stadium, Pharco FC staged a thrilling comeback to defeat Enppi 4-3 in a dramatic encounter.
Enppi opened the scoring in the 20th minute when right midfielder Ali Fawzy delivered a precise cross, which Ahmed Khalil ‘Kalousha’ met with a header that nestled into the right corner of the net.
Pharco equalized in the 35th minute after being awarded a penalty. Centre-forward Amr Nasser stepped up confidently and converted from the spot.
Nine minutes later, Pharco took the lead. A well-placed cross from centre-back Yassin Marai found Nasser in the center of the penalty area, who headed the ball into the right corner to make it 2-1. The first-half ended with Pharco leading after four minutes of stoppage time.
The second-half began with both teams battling for control, though no significant threats emerged early on.
In the 75th minute, Enppi leveled the score once more. The referee awarded them a penalty, and Ali Fawzy made no mistake, scoring his second goal of the game.
Pharco regained the lead in the 86th minute with a stunning strike from defensive midfielder Mahmoud Gehad, whose powerful shot from the left edge of the penalty area flew into the top-left corner of the net.
In the 90th minute, Pharco extended their advantage with a fourth goal. Amr Nasser unleashed a powerful strike from outside the penalty area, which Enppi goalkeeper Reda El-Sayed could only parry. Centre-forward Ahmed Sherif was quick to react, seizing the rebound and slotting it into the right corner from close range.
Enppi managed to pull one back in the 97th minute with a penalty, once again converted by Ali Fawzy to complete his hat-trick. However, it wasn’t enough to deny Pharco, who emerged victorious with a thrilling 4-3 win.
