Al-Ahly Wins Over Zamalek to Claim Egyptian Super Cup

Al-Ahly claimed their 15th Egyptian Super Cup title after a thrilling 7-6 penalty shootout win against archrival Zamalek, following a goalless draw in the final at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

In a thrilling shootout, Zamalek’s Hamza Mathlouthi, Omar Gaber, and Shikabala missed three of their seven penalty attempts, with Al-Ahly’s goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy making two saves. Al-Ahly also had two misses, as Youssef Ayman and Koka were denied by Zamalek’s keeper, Mohamed Awad.

The first half saw Al-Ahly dominate midfield play, creating several scoring opportunities. However, Awad’s impressive form kept the scoreboard empty with two vital saves early in the game.

Al-Ahly’s first major chance came in the 8th minute when Hussein El-Shahat broke through one-on-one with Awad, who managed to stop him from scoring. Awad again denied Palestinian forward Wissam Abu Ali in the 15th minute with another decisive save.

Al-Ahly continued their attacking pressure, and a powerful free-kick by Moroccan Yahya Attiyat Allah rattled the crossbar in the 21st minute. Moments before halftime (46), Abu Ali’s shot skimmed the post, keeping the deadlock intact.

Zamalek struggled to mount a meaningful offense, and were not able to pose any real threat to Al-Ahly’s goalkeeper, Mohamed El-Shenawy. Their only significant chance came from Tunisian forward Seifeddine Jaziri, who scored in the 27th minute, only for it to be ruled out for offside after a VAR review. Another shot from Mohamed Shehata was easily saved by El-Shenawy, leaving the first half goalless.

In the second half, Zamalek raised their game, exchanging attacks with Al-Ahly and posing several late threats. Zizo unleashed a fierce left-footed strike, which El-Shenawy saved in the 83rd minute, and three minutes later, Jaziri narrowly missed a golden opportunity, sending Zizo’s cross just wide.

With neither side able to break the deadlock, the game went into extra time, which saw both teams play cautiously. Zamalek relied on swift counterattacks to threaten Al-Ahly, but the penalty shootout ultimately decided the match, where El-Shenawy emerged as the hero.”Calmness was my weapon, especially facing Zamalek’s captain Shikabala,” he said, expressing relief after securing the victory.

He added, “I’d like to thank Zamalek’s goalkeeper, Mohamed Awad, for his outstanding performance in the match; he truly played remarkably. I didn’t think Shikabala would score, as that would have meant our defeat, but I was confident I could save his shot.”

El-Shenawy emphasized that this generation has achieved numerous championships, solidifying the club’s legacy and bringing multiple titles to their closets, though he acknowledged the team faced challenges after losing the African Super Cup title.

The Egyptian Super Cup organizing committee honored Zamalek’s star Ahmed Mostafa “Zizo” with the title of Best Player in the tournament, recognizing his exceptional performances against Pyramids in the semifinals and Al-Ahly in the final. Zamalek’s goalkeeper, Mohamed Awad, was also named the tournament’s Best Goalkeeper after his impressive displays in both matches.

Al-Ahly’s forward, Taher Mohamed, claimed the Top Scorer title, netting a brace against Ceramica Cleopatra in the semifinals.

Here are the tournament’s Awards:

• Best Player: Ahmed Zizo
• Best Goalkeeper: Mohamed Awad
• Top Scorer: Taher Mohamed
• Final Match MVP: Mohamed El-Shenawy
• Third-place Match MVP: Sherif Ekramy