Al-Masry Hold Al-Ahly to a Draw and Ignite the Title Race

Al-Ahly were held to a goalless draw by visiting Al-Masry, while Zamalek defeated Tala’ea El Gaish 3-1, allowing Ceramica Cleopatra to remain top of the Egyptian Premier League after edging Petrojet 2-1 in Match week 13.

With this result, surprise leaders Ceramica Cleopatra moved up to 26 points to stay at the summit — three points clear of second-placed Al-Ahly. Zamalek climbed to third with 22 points, followed by Pyramids in fourth on 20 points with three games in hand. The latter defeated Al-Ittihad of Alexandria 2-1 in this round.

At Cairo International Stadium, Al-Ahly were left frustrated after failing to convert several clear chances against Al-Masry, particularly through Slovenian striker Nejc Gradišar and winger Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet.”

The Red Devils squandered a golden opportunity to claim all three points deep into stoppage time when Ahmed Sayed “Zizo” struck the post from a penalty kick in the 95th minute — their second consecutive draw, further slowing their title push.

Elsewhere at the same venue, Zamalek earned their first win under interim coach Ahmed Abdel-Raouf, who took charge following the dismissal of Belgian manager Yannick Ferrera after a poor run of results.

Nasser Maher (5’, 49’) and Palestinian forward Oday Dabbagh (61’) scored for the White Knights, while Mohamed Atef netted for El Gaish (80’).

Maher opened the scoring early, finishing a clever pass from Nabil Emad “Dunga” inside the box. Zamalek suffered a setback midway through the first half when Brazilian midfielder Juan Alvina left injured, replaced by Dabbagh — who went on to make a strong impact.

In the second half, Maher doubled the lead with a powerful strike from inside the area (49’), before Dabbagh headed in the third from a Mahmoud Bentayk cross (61’). Mohamed Atef later pulled one back for El Gaish (80’) after latching onto a Ghaith Madadha assist that slipped past substitute goalkeeper Mahdi Suleiman, who had replaced the injured Mohamed Sobhy.

At the Air Defense Stadium, Pyramids continued their impressive run with a 2-1 win over Al-Ittihad. Marwan Hamdy (13’) and Ahmed Atef “Qatta” (80’) scored for the hosts, while Karim El-Deeb converted a late penalty for Al-Ittihad (86’).

Pyramids still have three matches in hand due to their participation in both the African Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup — giving them a strong chance to claim the top spot if they secure all the points.

The Egyptian Premier League will now pause as Al-Ahly, Zamalek, Pyramids, and Ceramica Cleopatra prepare to compete in the Egyptian Super Cup, set to take place in Abu Dhabi between November 6 and 9.