Al Masry prepare for Pyramids test after hard-fought win over Arab Contractors

Al Masry head coach Emad El Nahhas says his side are preparing fully for Monday’s meeting with Pyramids, despite the short gap between the two matches, after securing a difficult 3-2 victory over Arab Contractors in the second round of the league.

The result gave Al Masry a second successive win and moved them up to second place in the table on six points, with their position ahead of Pyramids determined by goal difference.

“We are happy with the victory, collecting the three points and achieving maximum points,” El Nahhas said in comments carried by the club’s media centre.

Al Masry took all three points in a closely contested match, with Mahmoud Hamada, Hussein Faisal and Mohamed El Shamy scoring for the winners. Idrissa Thiam and Omar Kamal Abdel Wahed were on target for Arab Contractors.

El Nahhas said it was too soon to make firm judgements about Al Masry’s new signings, stressing that the players would need competitive matches to build an understanding with one another.

“All matches are highly difficult, and it is still early to judge the new players,” he said.

“The players’ understanding and harmony are achieved through official matches.”

The manager also highlighted the influence of the Al Masry supporters, whose presence he described as a major source of encouragement for the team.

“The presence of Al Masry’s great supporters is the biggest motivation for our players to achieve victory,” El Nahhas added.

He said the club would approach the next fixture with the same level of focus, even though the players have limited recovery time following the demanding encounter with Arab Contractors.

“We will prepare for the Pyramids match with complete seriousness despite the short time between the two matches,” he said.

El Nahhas also credited his second-half substitutions with helping to change the course of the game. He thanked the players for their effort while acknowledging that the team still needed to correct its mistakes as the season progressed.

“Al Masry’s changes during the second half made the difference, and I thank the players for the effort they made. We are looking to address the mistakes one by one,” he said.

The victory was Al Masry’s first against Arab Contractors since 2024. The two sides had drawn their previous two meetings.

Arab Contractors, meanwhile, suffered their second defeat of the campaign and dropped to 18th place without a point.

Al Masry’s next assignment will be a high-profile clash with Pyramids on Monday in the third round of the league. Pyramids also have six points, leaving the upcoming match as an early contest between two unbeaten sides near the top of the table.