Yasser Ibrahim’s late strike gives Al Ahly victory as defender targets more titles

Yasser Ibrahim scored in the 87th minute to give Al Ahly a 1-0 victory over Smouha and was subsequently named Player of the Match, as the defender praised the club’s supporters and said their backing would help the team win more titles.

The Al Ahly defender settled a closely contested Egyptian Premier League match with a powerful shot in the closing stages. The victory lifted Al Ahly to nine points from three matches, level with Pyramids FC at the top of the table.

Speaking to ON Sport after the game, Ibrahim said: “I congratulate the players and the coaching staff and the players. Success comes from God because we work hard from the first minute to the last.”

He added: “As long as the club’s fans are behind us, we will win titles.”

The match against Smouha was Ibrahim’s first appearance of the season. He had missed Al Ahly’s opening two matches before returning to the team and making an immediate impact with the winning goal.

His performance also earned him the individual award for the best player in the match, while Al Ahly maintained their perfect start to the league campaign.

Smouha, meanwhile, remain 17th in the table with one point from their opening two matches. Their record so far consists of one draw and one defeat.

Al Ahly’s victory also ended a difficult recent trend. The club had failed to win any of their first three matches in each of the previous two seasons, but this time they have taken maximum points from all three fixtures.

They opened the campaign with a 3-2 win over Eastern Company, followed by a 2-0 victory against ZED FC. Ibrahim’s late goal then secured a narrow win against Smouha.

The result leaves Al Ahly level on nine points with Pyramids FC at the summit of the Egyptian Premier League standings. For Smouha, the defeat leaves them with only a single point and underlines the importance of their next league fixtures.

Ibrahim’s return, goal and Player of the Match award gave Al Ahly a significant boost as they continued their strong beginning to the season. His message to the supporters was equally clear: with the club’s fans continuing to stand behind the team, he believes Al Ahly can challenge for further honours.