Zamalek SC secured a valuable win on the road as Al Ahly and Pyramids FC both suffered defeats during the sixth round of the Egyptian League Cup, which continued on Thursday with four fixtures across three groups.
In Group A, Al Ahly endured another frustrating evening as they were beaten 2-1 at home by El Gaish at Al Salam Stadium.
The opening half was evenly contested, with both sides showing attacking intent while remaining cautious in their build-up play.
Al Ahly appeared to gain the upper hand shortly before the break when Nejc Gradišar broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute, giving the hosts a narrow advantage heading into half-time.
The momentum shifted after the restart.
El Gaish emerged with renewed energy and were rewarded in the 58th minute when Mohamed Atef found the equaliser, altering the tone of the contest.
As pressure mounted on the home side, the visitors continued to push forward and were eventually rewarded in the 79th minute, when Fares Hatem struck to complete the turnaround.
The victory keeps El Gaish top of Group A with 13 points, while Al Ahly remain sixth on six points.
Elsewhere in the same group, Arab Contractors recorded a hard-fought 1-0 win over Ceramica Cleopatra.
The decisive moment came in the 33rd minute, when Eslam Gaber gave the hosts the lead.
Despite sustained efforts from Ceramica before the interval, the visitors were unable to break through.
The second half followed a similar pattern, with both defences holding firm and chances at a premium.
The result lifts Arab Contractors from fourth to second place on 11 points, while Ceramica remain bottom of the standings with three.
Group B produced the most emphatic scoreline of the round, as Petrojet delivered a stunning 7-0 victory over Pyramids FC.
The contest was effectively decided in the first half, with Sekou Sonko producing a devastating display.
He opened the scoring in the 21st minute, added a second three minutes later, and completed a first-half hat-trick soon after.
Petrojet continued to dominate, adding a fourth in the 41st minute before Mostafa El-Badry converted a penalty in stoppage time to make it 5-0 at the break.
Pyramids struggled to respond after the interval, as Petrojet maintained control.
Sonko added two more goals late on, scoring in the 87th minute and again in stoppage time to complete a remarkable seven-goal haul for his team.
Petrojet remain top of Group B with a perfect 15 points, while Pyramids stay rooted at the bottom with three.
In Group C, Zamalek SC produced an assured away performance to defeat Al Masry 2-0.
The visitors took an early initiative and were rewarded in the 21st minute when Juan Bezerra converted a penalty to put Zamalek ahead.
Al Masry created several opportunities before half-time but were unable to find a way past the Zamalek defence.
The second half was largely defined by organisation and discipline at the back, with both teams cancelling each other out for long periods.
As Al Masry pushed forward in search of an equaliser, spaces opened up, and Zamalek capitalised in dramatic fashion when Ahmed Sherif scored in the 99th minute to seal the result.
Despite the defeat, Al Masry remain top of Group C with 11 points, while Zamalek move up from sixth to fifth with seven.
The sixth round delivered a mix of surprises and emphatic statements, further intensifying the battle for qualification as the Egyptian League Cup enters its decisive phase.
