Ceramica Cleopatra beat Smouha 2-0 after VAR drama in Egyptian Premier League

Ceramica Cleopatra secured a 2-0 victory over Smouha in week four of the Egyptian Premier League, with goals from Samir El Iraqi and Hussein El Sayed after a first-half Smouha effort was ruled out for offside.

Smouha thought they had taken the lead when Papy Badji found the net, but the referee cancelled the goal for an offside position. The decision was reviewed by the Video Assistant Referee and subsequently upheld.

Ceramica then took control before the break, enjoying 55% possession compared with Smouha’s 45%. Smouha attempted to build from the back and put together a series of passes in Ceramica’s defensive half, but the home side struggled to turn that pressure into a clear chance.

The visitors came closest when Mohamed Koune drove a low effort from the right side of the box narrowly wide of the right post. Khaled El Ghandour also delivered a corner from the left towards the near post, where Samir Fikri met the ball, although his shot went off target.

Papy Badji was repeatedly caught offside, while Smouha were also flagged when Samir Fikri moved too early. The match was stopped twice because of injuries to Badji, and there was a brief water break during the first half.

Ceramica finally broke through with a well-worked move. Marwan Othman carried the ball from the left towards the penalty area before finding Ahmed Belhaj, who used a backheel to release Samir El Iraqi arriving from deep. El Iraqi struck a powerful shot into the left side of the net to put Ceramica ahead.

Smouha responded with sustained pressure after the interval. Badji forced a fine save with a firm low shot from outside the area, and he later sent a close-range header over the crossbar following a precise Mohamed El Desouky cross from a corner.

Ceramica doubled their lead when Marwan Othman advanced down the right side of the penalty area and sent a low ball across goal. Smouha’s defence failed to clear, allowing Hussein El Sayed to finish powerfully.

The goal made it 2-0 after 15 minutes of the second half. Ceramica continued to threaten from set pieces, with Ahmed Belhaj delivering two corners and Mohamed Reda Bobou seeing a free-kick deflected off the wall and behind for another corner. Bobou also tried his luck from distance but missed the target.

Smouha continued to chase a way back into the match, while Mohamed Koune won a free-kick in the middle of Ceramica’s defensive half after a challenge from Bobou. Mohamed El Desouky and Amr Qalawa were also involved in separate free-kick incidents during the game.

The encounter featured several bookings, including cautions for players from both teams. One Smouha player was booked for an intervention on Hussein El Sayed, while another received a yellow card for dissent. The referee added five minutes of stoppage time.

Ceramica finished with three shots to Smouha’s four, but the decisive moments went their way. The match listing included Nitz Gradisar, Ragab Nabil, Hussein El Sayed, Samir El Iraqi, Ahmed Belhaj, Mohamed Koune, Ali Gamal, Marwan Othman, Samir Fikri, Ahmed Ramadan, Papy Badji and Khaled El Ghandour among the players involved.