Egyptian League: A Last-Minute Goal Leads Al Ahly to a Thrilling Comeback

SadaNews – Al Ahly turned around their deficit to achieve an exciting 3-2 victory over Eastern Company, on Sunday evening at Cairo Stadium, in the opening round of the Egyptian Premier League. This marks a successful debut for their new Moroccan coach, Hossam Amouta, who took over the reins from Danish coach Jess Thorup after a season that did not meet the fans’ expectations.

The match witnessed great competitiveness as Eastern Company managed to take the lead with a first goal from Ali Ihab in the 17th minute, followed by a dangerous opportunity through a penalty in the 21st minute after Karim Fouad fouled an Eastern player. Mohamed Hamdy executed the penalty in the 23rd minute but missed. However, Mohamed Essam compensated by scoring the second goal for the guests in the 24th minute.

In contrast, Al Ahly reduced the deficit through Marwan Attia in the 34th minute with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area.

Al Ahly continued their intense pressure throughout the last fifteen minutes of the first half in search of an equalizer, but the first half ended with Eastern Company leading by two goals to one.

With the start of the second half, Al Ahly continued their pressing attempts until Ahmed El-Sayed “Zizo” scored the equalizer in the 69th minute from a penalty kick after a foul on Ashraf Bin Sharqi inside the penalty area. The attempts from both teams continued until substitute Mohamed Magdy Afsha scored the dramatic winning goal in the 90th minute, finding the back of the net after receiving a back-heel pass from Youssef Benjaida.

At the same time, newly promoted Al Qanah shocked their host Ceramica Cleopatra with a 2-1 victory. Ceramica Cleopatra took the lead with a goal in the 10th minute scored by Mohamed Reda Bobo, who capitalized on a rebound from a saved penalty kick taken by Amr Qalawa, saved by Al Qanah’s goalkeeper Mohamed Shaaban. Al Qanah equalized in the 51st minute with a goal from Ibrahim Sami from a penalty after a handball by Ahmed Hani, a Ceramica player. Despite resuming the match with ten players after the expulsion of Al Qanah’s player Moamen Radhi in the 67th minute, they scored the second goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time of the second half through a brilliant long pass from Mahmoud Shalata to Mawli Ayew, who received the ball well, went one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and shot the ball into the net, securing all the match points for his team.

Earlier on Sunday, El Gouna drew with their guest Modern Sport 1-1 after both teams scored a goal in stoppage time of the second half.

In the most dangerous chance of the match during the original time, El Gouna nearly scored against their visitor in the 85th minute from a corner taken by Khaled Sidiq with a cross that Salah Zayed met with a left-foot shot but was brilliantly saved by Modern Sport’s goalkeeper Mustafa Makhlouf.

Mohamed Mamdouh scored the leading goal for Modern Sport in the fourth minute of stoppage time of the second half when he capitalized on a grave mistake by El Gouna’s player Reda Salah, who delayed a pass that allowed a Modern player to go one-on-one with the goalkeeper and finish with a shot from inside the box into the left side of the net.

El Gouna succeeded in equalizing in the seventh minute of stoppage time with a header from Ahmed Zaki that landed in the upper right corner of the net.