CAIRO — Defending champions Al-Ahly dropped points in a goalless draw against NBE Club, as Smouha and El-Gouna also settled for a scoreless stalemate. Meanwhile, Enppi secured a hard-fought win over Ismaili in the fourth round of the 2024-2025 Egyptian Premier League season.
At Al-Salam Stadium, Al-Ahly was held to a 0-0 draw by NBE Club, further extending their challenges in securing maximum points in the domestic league. This result follows their 1-1 draw with Al-Ittihad of Alexandria on November 22 in the third round.
Despite the draw, Al-Ahly continues to lead the league table with 8 points from four matches, having achieved two wins and two draws. In contrast, NBE Club remains in 17th place, second from the bottom, with just 2 points from two losses and two draws.
Ahly coach Marcel Koller said that his side was not successful in finishing the attacks against NBE Club, highlighted that the coaching staff is consistently working during training to address mistakes and capitalize on opportunities, despite the limited time due to the pressure of matches.
”Al-Ahly did not perform at the required level during the first-half, and tried to regain performance, control, and pressure in the second-half,” the Swiss tactician said during the post-match press conference.
Al-Ahly had a goal disallowed due to a handball by defender Rami Rabia after a VAR review, while their attack was thwarted by solid saves from NBE goalkeeper Abdelaziz el-Balouti.
NBE Club’s Togolese left-winger Yaw Annor and striker Ahmed Yasser Rayan came close but failed to capitalize, with Rayan leaving the game injured in the first-half.
Annor squandered a golden opportunity to give NBE Club the lead in the 16th minute after a swift counter-attack. Just minutes later, Al-Ahly winger Hussein el-Shahat missed a clear opportunity in the 26th minute, as his shot was saved by goalkeeper El-Balouti.
The Reds dominated the second-half but couldn’t find a breakthrough, with striker Mahmoud Kahraba and midfielder Amr el-Soulia missed key chances.
The match ended in a stalemate, highlighting Al-Ahly’s struggles to capitalize on scoring opportunities and NBE Club’s resilient defensive display.
At Alexandria Stadium, Smouha played out a goalless draw with El-Gouna.
Smouha controlled the first-half but failed to convert their chances in front of goal, while El-Gouna relied on counter-attacks in hopes of taking the lead.
In the second minute of stoppage time, Smouha midfielder Samuel Amadi squandered a clear opportunity, and the referee signaled halftime with the score still tied.
In the second-half, both teams pushed forward in search of a winner, but neither could capitalize on their scoring opportunities.
As a result of the draw, Smouha remains in ninth place in the league with 5 points from 4 matches, while El-Gouna is in 14th place with 3 points from the same number of games.
At the Arab Contractors Stadium, Enppi claimed a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Ismaili.
Left midfielder Mostafa Shikshak netted the sole goal of the match in the 67th minute with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area that Ismaili goalkeeper Ahmed Adel Abdel Moneim couldn’t stop.
Enppi’s goalkeeper Reda el-Sayed played a pivotal role, saving two crucial penalties to preserve the 1-0 lead.
The first penalty came in the 61st minute from Ismaili midfielder Emad Hamdi, followed by another in the 71st minute taken by Palestinian forward Khaled al-Nabrisy, both of which were saved by goalkeeper El-Sayed.
With the win, Enppi moved up to 12th place in the standings with 4 points, earned from one draw, two losses, and one win, scoring 5 goals and conceding 6.
Ismaili, on the other hand, remained in 13th place with 4 points, accumulated from one win, one draw, and two losses, with 1 goal scored and 2 conceded.
