Al Ahly held by El Mokawloon as Imam Ashour returns after 112 days

Al Ahly were held to a 1-1 draw by El Mokawloon El Arab in a dramatic Egyptian Premier League match that featured two penalties, a disallowed goal and the long-awaited return of Imam Ashour.

El Mokawloon El Arab took a surprise lead through Islam Gaber in the 38th minute, but Ahmed Sayed “Zizo” equalised from the spot 19 minutes after half-time. Al Ahly then had a second goal ruled out for offside as the hosts, known as the Mountain Wolves, held on for a valuable point.

The visitors began with the expected early pressure, although they struggled to create clear opportunities. Sofyan Benjedida sent a long-range effort wide, while a dangerous corner from Zizo was dealt with by the El Mokawloon defence.

Despite dominating possession, Al Ahly did not register a shot on target during the opening 20 minutes. The first major chance fell to the hosts when one of their attackers was put through on goal, but Amr El Gazzar made an important intervention to prevent the breakthrough.

El Mokawloon were awarded a penalty after Omar Kamal Abdelwahid was judged to have committed a foul. Islam Gaber took responsibility and converted in the 38th minute to give the home side the lead.

Al Ahly had an opportunity to level before the interval when Amr El Gazzar headed narrowly wide during stoppage time, leaving El Mokawloon ahead at the break.

The second half began with a setback for the hosts as El Gazzar suffered a serious injury and was forced to leave the field in the 49th minute.

Al Ahly increased the pressure, with Monsef Bekrar attempting to find Ashraf Ben Cherki inside the penalty area. The pass was too powerful, but Ben Cherki then dribbled past several El Mokawloon players before being brought down by a heavy challenge from Khaled Abdelfattah.

A penalty was awarded in the 55th minute, and Zizo made no mistake two minutes later to restore parity.

The match also marked the return of Imam Ashour, who came on in the 58th minute for his first appearance in 112 days. His previous match for Al Ahly had come against Al Masry in the final round of the 2025-26 Egyptian Premier League season.

Al Ahly appeared to have completed the turnaround four minutes later when Monsef Bekrar found the net. The goal was disallowed, however, after the referee ruled that the attacker had been offside.

The decision ensured that El Mokawloon remained level, and the intensity of the contest eased as both teams continued to search for a winner.

The clearest late chance fell to Ashour in the 88th minute. The returning midfielder struck a fine effort that flew just centimetres over the El Mokawloon goal, narrowly missing the opportunity to complete Al Ahly’s comeback and secure all three points.

The result leaves Al Ahly with a frustrating draw on a night that also saw Ashour make his return to competitive action.