Alexandria Ittihad crash out of Egypt Cup as Tamer Mostafa faces the axe

Alexandria Ittihad exited the Egypt Cup early after a shock 1-0 home defeat to lower-division Kahrabaa Ismailia at Alexandria Stadium in the round of 32.

The match stayed goalless through normal time before Mohamed El Sayed Shika struck in the 95th minute of extra time, and Ittihad’s misery deepened when Isaac Sawyior was sent off in the 101st minute.

Kahrabaa Ismailia, coached by Reda Shehata, booked their place in the last 16, where they will meet the winner of Talaea El Gaish vs Al Sekka Al Hadid. Earlier in the round, Smouha beat Ghazl El Mahalla 3-1, National Bank of Egypt thrashed Port Fouad 4-1, and Petrojet edged Wadi Degla 1-0, with the rest of the ties to be completed over Sunday and Monday.

The cup exit piles huge pressure on Ittihad boss Tamer Mostafa, whose league form has already raised alarm bells. Since taking over on 20 September from Ahmed Sami, he has managed just one win against Arab Contractors, suffering five league defeats to ZED, Wadi Degla, Al Ahly, Pyramids and El Gouna, in addition to this cup failure.

Club president Mohamed Ahmed Salama has started contacting potential replacements, with Al Ahly sporting director Mohamed Youssef and former Al Merrikh coach Shawky Gharib among the leading options. Ittihad’s board is expected to make a final decision on Mostafa’s future within hours as frustration grows among fans and officials over the team’s direction.