Hussein El Shahat demonstrated a masterclass performance, firing two superb goals to guide Ahly to a commanding 4-1 win over Zamalek on Thursday, sparking their domestic league title festivities.
The scoreboard was lit up in the 45th minute by Tunisian fullback, Ali Maaloul, while the icing on the victory cake was provided by Mohamed Sherif in the closing seconds of the game. Zamalek managed to score a solitary goal through a penalty converted by Ahmed "Zizo" Sayed in the 68th minute.
Having already secured the champions' crown, Ahly opted to delay their jubilant title celebration until the end of the Cairo derby. This emphatic victory saw them snatch back the domestic title after a two-year hiatus during which their fiercest rivals, Zamalek, reigned supreme.
The game took off on a high note for Ahly with El-Shahat launching an incredible strike into the net within the first two minutes of play.
Mohamed "Afsha" Magdi almost increased Ahly's lead just a couple of minutes later, but his spectacular curling effort was denied by the crossbar. In a further twist, a sure-goal chip from Mahmoud "Kahraba" Abdel-Moneim was cleared off the goal-line by young defender Hatem Sokar.
El-Shahat seized the opportunity once more and let loose another rocket from distance to get past goalkeeper Mohamed Sobhy, bolstering Ahly's lead.
Despite the absence of key players like Marwan Attia and Amr El-Sulaya, Ahly exhibited their dominance over a disheartened Zamalek side.
On the brink of halftime, Ali Maaloul extended Ahly's lead to 3-0 with a long-range strike that encapsulated their superiority.
Zamalek returned to the second half with renewed vigour, thanks to four fresh substitutions introduced by coach Juan Carlos Osorio.
As Ahly appeared satisfied with the scoreline, holding back on their attacking exploits, their opponents mounted an aggressive offense. Zizo managed to reduce the deficit in the 68th minute with a well-executed penalty after being fouled by Dieng. Zamalek, however, suffered a stroke of bad luck, hitting the woodwork twice via Zizo and a header from Senegalese striker Ibrahima Ndiaye.
In the dying moments of the game, substitute Mohamed Sherif connected with Dieng's low cross to drive home the final nail in Zamalek's coffin, confirming Ahly's overwhelming victory.
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