Salah Mohsen says difficult opener set up Al Masry’s winning start

Salah Mohsen said the opening matches of a season are always difficult after his contribution helped Al Masry beat Smouha 1-0 in the Egyptian Premier League.

The match was played at New Suez Stadium in the first round of the league, with Al Masry securing all three points through an own goal. Mohsen’s header struck the post before rebounding onto Ahmed Maihoub and into the Smouha net.

Speaking to ON Sport after the game, Mohsen praised his team-mates for their efforts and said the victory reflected their determination.

“The players were men and the first match is always difficult,” said Mohsen.

The forward acknowledged that Al Masry had not converted every opportunity they created, but said that missed chances were understandable at this early stage of the campaign. He stressed, however, that the team would need to become more clinical in future matches.

“We are still at the beginning of the league and missing chances is possible, but you have to score them later. Thank God, in the end I was a reason for the team’s victory,” he added.

Al Masry’s decisive moment came after Mohsen rose to meet the ball with a header. His effort hit the post, then bounced off Ahmed Maihoub before crossing the line, leaving the goalkeeper credited with an own goal.

The result gave Al Masry a winning start to the league season, while Smouha were beaten by the narrowest possible margin at New Suez Stadium. No goal was scored directly by either side, but the sequence involving Mohsen, the post and Maihoub settled the contest.

Mohsen’s comments focused on the difficulty of the first fixture and the importance of taking the result despite the chances Al Masry failed to convert. His role in the decisive incident meant he could claim a direct contribution to the win, even though Maihoub was recorded as the scorer of the own goal.

Al Masry will return to New Suez Stadium for their second-round fixture against Al Mokawloon Al Arab next Thursday. The game will give the team an opportunity to build on its opening victory, while Mohsen and his team-mates will seek to improve their finishing after acknowledging that missed chances remain part of the early-season challenge.