Yasser Ibrahim’s thunderbolt keeps Al Ahly’s winning run alive against Smouha

Al Ahly left it until the closing stages to beat Smouha 1-0 and maintain their winning start to the Egyptian Premier League season at Cairo International Stadium on Thursday.

The defending champions dominated possession and spent much of the match pressing for a breakthrough, but Smouha’s disciplined defence kept the hosts at bay during a goalless first half.

Al Ahly continued to push after the interval, with their attacks becoming increasingly persistent as Smouha defended deep and looked to preserve a valuable point. Their resistance was finally broken in the 87th minute when defender Yasser Ibrahim produced a powerful long-range strike from outside the penalty area.

The effort gave Al Ahly the lead and settled a match in which the home side had struggled to find a way through Smouha’s organised back line.

The match became more difficult for the visitors two minutes later when referee Amin Omar showed a red card to Smouha midfielder Amr El Sisi in the 89th minute.

The result lifted Al Ahly to nine points from three matches under Moroccan manager Houcine Ammouta. They remain second in the table on goal difference behind leaders Pyramids, who have the same number of points.

Smouha, meanwhile, remain 18th with one point.

Al Ahly opened their Egyptian Premier League campaign with victories over Eastern Company, ENPPI and ZED, winning 3-2 and 2-0 respectively, according to the results listed in the report.

The late goal was widely shared online in a video showing Ibrahim’s strike, accompanied by the caption: “Look how Yasser Ibrahim did it 🦅💪.. Yasser Ibrahim scores a wonderful goal for Al Ahly against Smouha to put the Red Giants ahead 🔴”.

The result preserves Al Ahly’s perfect record after three rounds, although they had to work hard to overcome a Smouha side that kept the match scoreless for most of the evening.

Smouha frustrated their hosts throughout the opening period, denying Al Ahly the clear openings needed to turn their attacking pressure into goals. The pattern continued after half-time, with Al Ahly controlling the contest but repeatedly finding their route to goal blocked.

That changed when Ibrahim stepped forward from defence and struck decisively from distance. His goal spared Al Ahly what would have been a frustrating draw and ensured the Cairo club stayed level on points with Pyramids at the top of the competition.

The narrow victory also highlighted the fine margins in a match where the hosts had to wait until the 87th minute to make their pressure count. Smouha’s task then became even harder after El Sisi’s dismissal, leaving them unable to mount a late response.

Further discussion of the match and other football news was invited on Kooora forums.