Yasser Ibrahim’s late strike gives Al Ahly first three-game winning start in two years

Al Ahly maintained their perfect start to the Egyptian Premier League season after Yasser Ibrahim scored an 87th-minute winner to secure a 1-0 victory over Smouha at Cairo International Stadium.

The defender marked his first appearance of the campaign with a powerful long-range effort that flew into the net, earning Al Ahly all three points and the Player of the Match award.

The result leaves Al Ahly on nine points from three matches, level with Pyramids FC at the top of the table. Smouha remain 17th with one point from a draw and a defeat.

Al Ahly’s win also ended a run of two seasons in which they had failed to win any of their opening three league fixtures. They began this campaign with a 3-2 victory over Eastern Company Enppi, followed that with a 2-0 win against ZED FC, and completed a third consecutive success against Smouha.

The match began at a cautious pace, with Al Ahly managing only two attempts off target before the 40th minute. Their pressure increased late in the first half, producing six further efforts, including one on target that Smouha goalkeeper Ahmed Maihoub saved. Smouha did not register a shot before the interval.

Al Ahly created the first clear opening in the 13th minute when Achraf Bencharki broke forward and supplied Ahmed Nabil “Koka”. Koka’s cross was blocked by Smouha defender Mohamed El-Desouky before Taher Mohamed Taher could reach it, resulting in a corner.

Mohamed Hany sent another cross into the area in the 34th minute, but it travelled in front of Soufiane Bendjida and was cleared by the Smouha defence. Marwan Attia then tried his luck from distance, with his effort drifting just wide of the left post.

The visitors came closest to breaking the deadlock before half-time when Taher met a headed pass from Ahmed “Zizo” Sayed. His header from inside the area struck the right post.

Maihoub produced another important save in the second minute of stoppage time, denying Bencharki’s header, leaving the teams level at 0-0 at the break.

Al Ahly continued to push after the restart. Taher was booked in the 55th minute for a strong challenge on Smouha’s Khaled El-Ghandour, while Mohamed Hany and Amr El-Sisi were later shown yellow cards after an altercation.

Zizo nearly opened the scoring on the counter-attack in the 58th minute, but Maihoub again kept Smouha level.

Smouha made a series of changes, introducing Abdelghany Mohamed, Mohamed Adel, Ahmed El-Nady and Emmanuel Nwoke. Al Ahly manager Hussein Ammouta responded by sending on Monsef Bakkar and Mohamed Magdy “Afsha” for Ali Mahmoud and Taher, with Bakkar moving to the right side.

Yasser Ibrahim headed over from a Bencharki corner in the 70th minute. Al Ahly then appealed for a penalty after Ahmed El-Nady challenged Bakkar in the area, but the referee ruled the foul had occurred outside it.

Smouha made one final change, bringing on Gamal Lala for Hesham Hafez, while Ammouta replaced Zizo with Oktay Abdullah.

Bakkar later delivered a cross from the right, but Bendjida’s header went over the bar. Three minutes from normal time, Ibrahim finally broke the stalemate, driving a fierce shot from outside the penalty area beyond Maihoub.

Ahmed Reda replaced Bendjida in stoppage time as Al Ahly made their final substitution, and the defending champions held on for a narrow victory.