Al Ahly claimed a crucial 2-0 victory over rivals Zamalek in the sixth round of the Egyptian Premier League on Sunday, with Mohamed Hany breaking the deadlock before Monsef Bokrar sealed the win late on at Cairo International Stadium.
The Red Devils delivered a decisive performance in one of the season’s biggest fixtures, capitalizing on key moments to secure all three points. Hany’s long-range effort put Al Ahly ahead, while substitute Monsef Bokrar struck in the closing stages to settle the contest.
Al Ahly claimed a crucial 2-0 victory over rivals Zamalek in the sixth round of the Egyptian Premier League on Sunday, with Mohamed Hany breaking the deadlock before Monsef Bakr sealed the win late on at Cairo International Stadium.
The Red Devils delivered a decisive performance in one of the season’s biggest fixtures, capitalising on key moments to secure all three points. Hany’s long-range effort put Al Ahly ahead, while substitute Monsef Bakr struck in the closing stages to settle the contest.
Hany Breaks the Deadlock
The opening stages produced chances at both ends, with Al Ahly threatening as early as the fifth minute. Emam Ashour rose to meet a header from a corner delivered by Ahmed Sayed Zizo, but his effort sailed over the crossbar.
Zizo created another opportunity four minutes later, delivering a cross that found Soufiane Benjdida, who failed to convert a chance that could have given Al Ahly an early advantage.
Zamalek gradually sought a way through to Mostafa Shobeir’s goal, with one of their most promising opportunities arriving in the 28th minute. A pass into the penalty area found Mohamed Shehata, but Marwan Attia intervened at the crucial moment to prevent a clear scoring opportunity.
With the first half seemingly heading towards a stalemate, Mohamed Hany broke the deadlock in the 38th minute. The Al Ahly defender unleashed a long-range strike from outside the penalty area, which took a deflection off Achraf Bencharki before finding the back of the net.
The goal gave Al Ahly a valuable psychological and tactical advantage heading into the interval, leaving Zamalek with the task of finding a response after the break.
Zamalek continued to search for an equaliser, and Chico Banza missed an opportunity in the 45th minute following a pass from Ahmed Sherif.
Shobeir Keeps Al Ahly Ahead
Zamalek resumed the second half determined to get back into the contest, but Mostafa Shobeir produced a crucial save in the 52nd minute to preserve Al Ahly’s lead.
The goalkeeper reacted well to keep out a dangerous header from Ahmed Sherif, denying Zamalek what could have been a game-changing equaliser.
At the other end, Emam Ashour fired narrowly wide in the 64th minute as Al Ahly looked to extend their advantage.
The technical staff subsequently made a double substitution, withdrawing Ashour and Soufiane Benjdida for Omar El-Saei and Monsef Bakr in an attempt to inject fresh energy into the attack.
Monsef Bokrar Seals the Derby
As the match entered its final stages, Zamalek remained in need of a goal to revive their hopes of salvaging a result. Instead, Al Ahly delivered the decisive blow.
In the 80th minute, Monsef Bakr fired a powerful, low shot from outside the penalty area into the net to double Al Ahly’s lead and put the result beyond Zamalek’s reach.
The goal underlined the impact of Al Ahly’s substitutions, with Bakr providing a fresh attacking threat at a crucial stage of the derby.
Tensions rose further in the 81st minute when Zamalek assistant coach Ibrahim Salah was sent off for protesting, adding to the drama surrounding the closing stages.
Al Ahly comfortably saw out the remaining minutes to secure a 2-0 victory, with Hany’s deflected strike in the 38th minute and Bakr’s late effort in the 80th proving decisive.
The Red Devils emerged from the Cairo derby with a valuable win, while Zamalek were left to reflect on missed opportunities and a failure to convert their promising spells into goals.
