Talaea El Gaish overcome Al Sikka Al Hadid threats to reach Egypt Cup last 16

Talaea El Gaish booked their place in the Egypt Cup round of 16 with a composed 2-0 win over ambitious second-division side Al Sikka Al Hadid on Monday night at the Gehaz El Reyada El Askary Stadium in Cairo.

The army club had to stay focused to avoid any cup shocks against opponents who came into the tie with a reputation for springing surprises in the competition.​

Mohamed Atef settled early nerves by opening the scoring for El Gaish in the 17th minute, giving his team control of the match and forcing Al Sikka to chase the game. After the break, Togolese forward Ismail Ouro Agoro doubled the lead in the 64th minute, effectively killing off the contest and rewarding Talaea El Gaish’s sharper attacking edge.​

Under coach Gomaa Mashhour, El Gaish now move on to face Kahraba Ismailia in the last 16, after they knocked out Al Ittihad of Alexandria. Al Sikka Al Hadid, coached by Ahmed Eid Abdelmalek, exit the cup but leave with credit after a determined run.

Eight teams have already reached the last 16: ENPPI, Petrojet, Talaea El Gaish, Kahraba Ismailia, National Bank of Egypt, Smouha, Pharco and Haras El Hodood – with the remaining ties, including Ahly, Zamalek and Pyramids, still to be scheduled.