Al Ahly beat Abu Qir Fertilizers to move top of Egyptian Premier League

Al Ahly returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Abu Qir Fertilizers at Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday, moving temporarily to the top of the Egyptian Premier League table.

Ahmad Mustafa Zizo opened the scoring in the 16th minute before substitute Hussein El Shahat sealed the win in stoppage time, with the result lifting Al Ahly to 13 points after five matches.

Al Ahly had been held to a 1-1 draw by El Mokawloon El Arab in their previous fixture, ending a run of three successive victories at the start of the campaign.

The hosts began brightly and controlled possession in the early stages. Their pressure was rewarded when Zizo collected a pass from Moroccan forward Soufiane Benjdida inside the penalty area.

Zizo then went past goalkeeper Mahmoud Abdel Rahim “Gennesh” before calmly sending the ball into the net to give Al Ahly the lead.

After taking control of the scoreline, Al Ahly dropped deeper and allowed Abu Qir Fertilizers to see more of the ball. However, the visitors struggled to create a clear opening and did not seriously threaten the home defence.

The pace of the match declined after the interval, with possession shared between the two sides. Abu Qir Fertilizers came closest to equalising when a header struck the post.

Gennesh also denied Zizo from a bicycle kick, while Al Ahly missed an opportunity to extend their advantage when Algerian forward Monsef Bekrar broke through in the closing stages.

The second goal eventually arrived in the fourth minute of added time. El Shahat met a corner and produced a powerful long-range strike that flew past Gennesh and confirmed Al Ahly’s victory.

Zizo was named player of the match after his opening goal and overall contribution to the win.

The result leaves Al Ahly first in the standings with 13 points, although their position is only temporary. Abu Qir Fertilizers remain 17th with three points.