National Bank lifts momentum and deepens Ismaily’s struggles

National Bank pushed forward in the Egyptian Premier League with a spirited 2-1 victory over Ismaily at Ismailia Stadium.

The win highlighted the steady improvement under coach Ayman Al Ramadi, who has now guided his team to two victories in three matches.

Mostafa Shalaby, recently signed from Zamalek, opened the scoring in the 20th minute after a neat pass from Mohamed Ibrahim. Just seven minutes later, Osama Faisal doubled the lead, rediscovering his scoring touch in front of an anxious home crowd.

Ismaily’s Algerian coach Miloud Hamdi introduced Khaled El-Nabris, Amr El-Said, and Omar El-Qatt in the second half, searching for answers. A late lifeline came when Mohamed Ammar converted a penalty in the 76th minute, marking Ismaily’s first goal since August 24.

The loss leaves Ismaily rooted at the bottom with just 4 points from nine games, raising fears of a historic relegation. National Bank climbed to 11th on 11 points, showing promise after a difficult start.

Elsewhere, El Gouna shared the points in a 1-1 draw with Ceramica Cleopatra, extending their streak of consecutive draws.