CAIRO —The exceptional 2024–2025 Egyptian Premier League season rolled into the third round of its second stage, producing a fresh set of results in both the Championship Group — where the title race heats up — and the Relegation Group, where teams battle to avoid the drop.
Pyramids FC maintained their flawless start in the Championship Group, securing a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Haras El-Hodood at Alexandria’s Al-Max Stadium. The win marked their third consecutive triumph in the second stage of the 2024/2025 Egyptian Premier League.
The Sky Blues are closing in on their first-ever league title, currently leading the standings with 47 points, four ahead of closest rivals Al-Ahly, with five rounds remaining.
Pyramids need four wins from their final five matches to guarantee the championship, as even a perfect finish from Al-Ahly would leave them one point behind. Victory in their next four games would crown Pyramids as champions, with a match to spare.
In El-Hodood’s encounter, veteran defender Ali Gabr gave Pyramids the lead in the 43rd minute with a powerful header. El-Hodood equalized in the 74th minute through winger Mahmoud Ouka, who slotted home coolly.
However, the league leaders regained the advantage in the 88th minute when Congolese striker Fiston Mayele capitalized on a defensive mistake by Mohamed Farouk to net the winner, sealing all three points for Pyramids FC.
Al-Ahly 3-2 Petrojet
In his debut as Al-Ahly’s caretaker coach, Emad El-Nahhas got off to a winning start, guiding the Red Devils to a thrilling 3-2 victory over Petrojet at the Military Academy Stadium, lifting them to second place with 43 points.
Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali opened the scoring early, and midfielder Amr El-Soulaya doubled the lead in the 15th minute from a set-piece.
Petrojet hit back before halftime — forward Rashad El-Metwally converted a penalty in the 42nd minute and Nigerian striker Lucky Emmanuel equalized in stoppage time.
El-Nahhas responded with a triple substitution in the 62nd minute, and Slovenian Nejc Gradisar made an instant impact, netting the winner seconds after coming on.
VAR denied Al-Ahly a fourth in the 70th minute, but they held on for the win. Petrojet stays eighth on 25 points, as Al-Ahly keeps pressure on league leaders Pyramids.
Zamalek 0-0 Al-Masry
Zamalek were held to a 0-0 stalemate by Al-Masry of Port Said in a tightly contested league encounter at Borg El-Arab Stadium in Alexandria.
Despite several chances from both sides, neither team managed to break the deadlock over the 90 minutes.
The result sees Zamalek remain in third place on 39 points, while Al-Masry follow closely in fourth with 35 points.
NBE 4-2 Ceramica
NBE Club clinched a commanding 4-2 victory over Ceramica Cleopatra in an action-packed third-round clash of the Championship Group.
Ceramica drew first blood through midfielder Mohamed Reda Bobo in the 18th minute, but NBE roared back in the second half. Defender Saidou Simpore leveled the score in the 69th minute, sparking a dominant spell from the hosts.
Togolese winger Yao Anwar fired NBE into the lead in the 73rd minute, before striker Ahmed Yasser Rayan extended the advantage six minutes later with a composed finish.
Ceramica responded through South African forward Fakhri Lakay in the 83rd minute, but NBE playmaker Ahmed Madbouli sealed the result late on with a brilliant solo effort.
The win lifts NBE to fifth place in the Championship Group standings with 32 points, while Ceramica Cleopatra sits sixth with 27.
Al-Ittihad 2-1 El-Geish
Al-Ittihad of Alexandria secured a vital 2-1 victory over Talaa El-Geish at Cairo’s Military Sports Authority Stadium.
Forward Islam Samir opened the scoring for Al-Ittihad in the fourth minute of stoppage time in the first half, while defender Mahmoud Alaa doubled their lead with a penalty in the 70th minute.
El-Geish responded through Nigerian forward Godwin Chika, who converted a penalty in the 85th minute, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Alexandrians from claiming the win.
With this result, Al-Ittihad moved to 22 points, securing third place in the relegation group, while Talaa El-Geish remained at 21 points in fourth.
Enppi 1-0 El-Mahalla
Enppi earned a narrow 1-0 win over Ghazl El-Mahalla at the Petro Sport Stadium. The only goal of the match came in the 54th minute, as striker Ahmed Amin Oufa scored a precise header from inside the penalty area.
This victory brought Enppi’s points to 18, intensifying the relegation battle. El-Mahalla, on the other hand, stayed at 20 points.
ZED FC 2-0 Ismaily
ZED FC continued their strong performance with a 2-0 victory over Ismaily at Ismailia Stadium.
Right winger Mohamed Mosaad gave ZED the lead in the 58th minute after a well-timed pass from left-winger Moustafa Zico and a deflection off Ismaily’s Hossam Mohamed.
Just two minutes later, striker Shadi Hussein sealed the win with a powerful shot, assisted by Ahmed Abdel Nabi.
With this crucial win, ZED rose to the top of the relegation group with 27 points, while Ismaily remained in seventh place with 18 points.
Smouha 1-1 El-Gouna
Smouha earned a valuable 1-1 draw against El-Gouna in a tightly contested match at Khaled Beshara Stadium in El-Gouna.
El-Gouna took the lead in first-half stoppage time through a penalty from centre-back Ahmed Hamed Shousha, but Smouha equalized in the 77th minute thanks to centre-back Mohamed Rabia’s header.
Despite El-Gouna’s missed opportunities, including a glaring chance from forward Marwan Mohsen in the 50th minute, the match ended level.
El-Gouna now sits second in the relegation group with 24 points, while Smouha moved up to 21 points in fifth place.
