Al Ahly Clinches Egyptian Super Cup After Thrilling Penalty Shootout Against Zamalek
Al Ahly were crowned champions of the Egyptian Super Cup for club champions after defeating their traditional rivals, Zamalek, 7-6 in a dramatic penalty shootout. The match, held last night at Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, ended in a goalless draw after regular and extra time.
With this victory, Al Ahly extended their record of Super Cup wins to 15 titles, seven of which have come at Zamalek's expense. This win also served as revenge for Al Ahly, who had lost the African Super Cup to Zamalek under similar circumstances last month in Riyadh.
The match was a footballing spectacle, played before a stunning crowd of more than 33,000 fans who packed the stands of Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium. Once again, Abu Dhabi successfully hosted the Egyptian Super Cup, marking the eighth time the event has been held in the UAE capital, continuing the UAE's success in organizing both Arab and international sporting events.
Throughout the 120 minutes of play, both teams fought hard, with neither able to break the deadlock. In the end, the penalty shootout favored "The Red Castle" (Al Ahly). Al Ahly’s successful penalty takers were Mohamed Magdy Afsha, Omar Kamal, Marwan Atteya, Amr El Solia, Percy Tau, Yahia Attiyat Allah, and Hussein El Shahat, while Reda Slim and Youssef Ayman missed their kicks.
For Zamalek, Abdullah El Saeed, Hossam Abdelmaguid, Nasser Mansi, Zizo, and Konrad Michalak converted their penalties, but Hamza Mathlouthi, Shikabala, and Omar Gaber missed crucial attempts.
Al Ahly had the upper hand in the first half, dominating the midfield and creating several scoring chances. However, they were unable to capitalize on these opportunities, thanks to the stellar performance of Zamalek's goalkeeper, Mohamed Awad, who made two crucial saves in the first half.
The first major chance of the match came in the 8th minute when Al Ahly's Hussein El Shahat missed a golden opportunity after going one-on-one with Awad, who expertly saved the shot. Awad was once again in action in the 15th minute, denying striker Wissam Abu Ali a clear scoring chance.
In the 21st minute, Yahia Attiyat Allah rattled the crossbar with a stunning free-kick from outside the area, and Wissam Abu Ali’s shot brushed the left post just before halftime.
On the other hand, Zamalek struggled to assert themselves in the first half, with their only real threat coming from a disallowed goal by Tunisian striker Seifeddine Jaziri in the 27th minute, ruled out for offside after VAR intervention. The half ended in a goalless draw.
Zamalek showed significant improvement in the second half, trading attacks with Al Ahly and creating dangerous chances, particularly towards the end of the match. Zizo unleashed a powerful shot in the 83rd minute, forcing Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy into a brilliant save. Three minutes later, Seifeddine Jaziri missed a crucial opportunity, sending Zizo's cross wide of the post.
Neither side managed to score in extra time as fatigue set in, forcing the game into a penalty shootout, where Al Ahly ultimately triumphed.