Al Ahly leave it late to beat Al Mokawloon as Komsan rues missed chances

Al Ahly secured a dramatic 1-0 victory over Al Mokawloon Al Arab in the second round of the Egypt League Cup group stage, with Achraf Bencharki scoring in the 93rd minute.

The result at Cairo International Stadium moved Al Ahly to six points and the top of Group C, while Al Mokawloon remain on three points.

Al Ahly’s winning goal came from a header by Bencharki, who converted a cross from Mohamed Hany in stoppage time.

Al Mokawloon manager Samy Komsan said his side had successfully restricted Al Ahly’s attacking options for most of the match but were punished late on.

“We closed down Al Ahly’s avenues of attack throughout the match,” Komsan told ON Sport. “The Red [Al Ahly] have many solutions, whether through their starting players or substitutes, but in the end we lost at the crucial moment I had warned the players about.”

Komsan felt his team lacked the options to respond as the game progressed, with injuries and fatigue affecting his squad.

“We did not have the solutions, and we are suffering from a lot of injuries as well as exhaustion,” he added. “We put in a great physical effort throughout the match, and I tried to protect some players to avoid further injuries.”

He also confirmed that Mohamed Abdel Nasser is set to undergo an operation after suffering a foot problem.

“Mohamed Abdel Nasser’s injury is a fungal infection in the foot, and he will undergo surgery tomorrow following a decision by the medical staff,” Komsan said.

Al Ahly had opened their group campaign with a 5-0 win over Petrojet, before claiming another three points against Al Mokawloon.

Group C also includes Eastern Company, ENPPI and El Gouna.