Ismaily Remain Pointless After 2-1 WE Defeat

Ismaily lost 2-1 away to WE, leaving the relegated three-time champions without a point after their opening two Second Division matches.

Mohamed Bahaa gave WE the lead in the 15th minute before Yasser Zahlaq doubled their advantage seven minutes later.

Ismaily thought they had reduced the deficit before half-time when Anwar Saqr found the net, but the referee disallowed his effort for offside. The visitors suffered another setback when midfielder Mohamed Samir “Konta” sustained an injury and left the pitch in the 36th minute. Abdelrahman El-Deh replaced him.

Ismaily continued searching for a response after the interval but did not score until second half stoppage time. Saqr converted a penalty in the 92nd minute, but WE protected their lead during the remaining moments to complete the 2-1 victory.

The defeat followed Ismaily’s 3-1 home loss against Masar in their first match following relegation. Saqr also converted a penalty in that game, making both Ismaily goals this season have come from the spot.

The latest result leaves Ismaily 18th in the early standings after conceding five goals across two defeats. Ismaily will host El Nasr in their next league fixture, while WE face Dayrout.

The Darawish began the season amid financial and administrative problems that have limited their ability to rebuild after dropping out of the Premier League. KingFut recently reported that Ismaily had rejected following El Sharkia and Suez into a company-backed merger model.

Ismaily suffered relegation in May after losing 2-1 to Wadi Degla. It was their first drop from the top flight in 68 years and only the second in the club’s history.

The three-time Egyptian champions were also the first Egyptian side to win an African title, lifting the African Cup of Champions Clubs in 1969.