Source: Alamy Stock Photo

Al-Ahly Tops Egyptian League with a 2-0 Victory Over Smouha

Al-Ahly secured the top spot in the Egyptian Premier League after defeating Smouha 2-0 in a rescheduled match from the fifth round at Cairo International Stadium.

Mohamed Magdy “Afsha” (45+3) and Imam Ashour (50) scored the goals that lifted Al-Ahly to 15 points, one point ahead of Zamalek and Pyramids. Smouha remains in 17th place with five points.

Swiss coach Marcel Koller, who managed to attend the match despite recent health concerns, altered Al-Ahly’s usual 4-3-3 formation to a 3-4-3 setup. The defensive trio included Rami Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, and Moroccan Achraf Dari.

Smouha’s Nigerian forward Abubakar Iyadi failed to capitalize on Marwan Attia’s cross early in the game, allowing Moroccan Yahya Attiat Allah to seize the ball and go one-on-one with Smouha goalkeeper Mohamed Ashraf, but he shot over the bar (7).

Two minutes later, a through pass from Hussein El-Shahat found Palestinian Wissam Abu Ali, but he couldn’t reach the ball in time.

Al-Ahly maintained the pressure. From a corner, Attia delivered a long pass to Ashour, who crossed for Rami Rabia, but his attempt went just wide (18).

Later, Attiat Allah sent in a cross that Abu Ali headed into Smouha’s net, but the referee overturned the goal after VAR confirmed a foul on defender Mohamed Rabia before the strike (27).

Afsha attempted a shot from inside the box in the 36th minute, but Mohamed Rabia cleared it just before it crossed the goal line.

Amid the chaos in Smouha’s area, the ball fell to Abu Ali, who fired a powerful shot, only for Rabia to block it for a corner (45).

In the third minute of first-half stoppage time, Akram Tawfik’s long pass found Afsha, who headed the ball strongly into the net to give Al-Ahly a 1-0 lead at halftime.

Al-Ahly made a forced substitution at the start of the second half, with Achraf Dari leaving due to injury and Ahmed Nabil “Kouka” taking his place. Earlier, Attiat Allah had also been replaced due to injury.

El-Shahat dribbled past two defenders and delivered a through ball to Ashour, who outmaneuvered goalkeeper Ashraf and coolly slotted it into the net, doubling Al-Ahly’s lead in the 50th minute.

Smouha’s Mahmoud Saber nearly responded with a free-kick in the 53rd minute, but his effort flew just over the crossbar. Two minutes later, Saber received a pass from Hossam Hassan and went one-on-one with Al-Ahly captain Mohamed El-Shenawy, but the keeper deflected his shot for a corner.

Hossam Hassan had another chance to narrow the deficit in the 73rd minute, but his close-range effort struck the right post. Moments later, El-Shahat set up Afsha with a perfect through ball, but the latter’s shot went wide. The left post then denied Smouha again when Salem’s header off a Hassan cross rebounded back into play.

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