Al Ahly secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Zamalek in the Egyptian Premier League on Monday night, with substitute Hussein El Shahat playing a decisive role in turning the game around at Cairo International Stadium.
The game started at a frantic pace, with Zamalek creating the clearer chances through Adam Kaid, Adi El Dabbagh, and Nasser Maher.
Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy was called into action early, denying El Dabbagh’s effort in a one-on-one situation.
Zamalek were awarded a penalty in the 26th minute when Yassin Marei fouled El Dabbagh inside the box.
Abdallah El Said’s initial spot-kick was saved by El Shenawy, but VAR ordered a retake after the keeper stepped off his line too early.
This time, Hossam Abdel-Meguid converted in the 32nd minute to give Zamalek the lead.
The White Knights controlled much of the half, while Al Ahly pushed forward intermittently.
Just before the break, controversy arose when Al Ahly appealed for a penalty after a shot struck Mahmoud Ben Taij’s arm, but the Spanish referee Cesar Soto Grado, following a VAR review, waved play on. The first half ended 1-0 in Zamalek’s favor.
Al Ahly came out strongly in the second half, with Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet narrowly missing the target. The referee brandished yellow cards to both Yasser Ibrahim (Ahly) and Nasser Mansi (Zamalek) as the intensity rose.
The turning point came in the 69th minute when Hussein El Shahat replaced Taher Mohamed Taher. Just two minutes later, El Shahat latched onto a clever pass from Mohamed Sherif and slotted calmly into the net to equalize (71’).
El Shahat’s influence continued, as he won a penalty after being brought down in the box. Trezeguet stepped up and converted confidently in the 78th minute, completing the comeback for Al Ahly.
Zamalek pushed desperately for an equalizer, with substitute Amr Nasser’s header rattling the crossbar in stoppage time. Al Ahly’s defense, led by El Shenawy, held firm under late pressure to secure the victory.
The result sees Al Ahly climb to third place in the table with 12 points, while Zamalek remain on top with 17 points but lose their unbeaten run.
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