Al Ahly’s central defender Yasser Ibrahim scored a last-minute goal from distance to help the club register a 1-0 win over Smouha in a Matchweek 3 encounter that took place at Cairo International Stadium in Cairo on Thursday evening, thus ensuring the club’s undefeated record in the Egyptian Premier League.
The encounter saw Al Ahly have a tough time breaching the well-organised back defence of their opponents during the match. Even though they dominated possession of the ball from the very start of the game and created numerous chances to score goals, they failed to find the net due to the well-organised defence of their opponents and their goalkeeper, Ahmed Mayhoub. They nearly scored before the halftime whistle was blown as their winger Taher Mohamed Taher hit the left post with his header.
In a bid to break the deadlock, Al Ahly’s Moroccan head coach, Houcine Ammouta, introduced second-half offensive substitutes Mounsef Bakrar, Mohamed Magdi Afsha, and Ahmed Reda to intensify the forward movement. The persistent attacking play finally paid dividends three minutes from full-time when Ibrahim unleashed a powerful long-range strike from outside the penalty box, beating Mayhoub to register his first league goal of the campaign and earn the official Man of the Match honours.
Smouha’s prospects of launching a late equaliser were further diminished in the 89th minute when midfielder Amr El-Sisi received a second yellow card and was subsequently sent off following a heated altercation.
The hard-fought 1-0 victory extends Al Ahly’s perfect winning start under Ammouta to three consecutive league games, following their opening-round victories against Sharqia Enppi (3-2) and ZED FC (2-0). The result elevates the Red Devils to nine points, placing them second in the Egyptian Premier League standings alongside joint-leaders Pyramids FC, separated only by goal difference.
Conversely, the defeat leaves Smouha winless in 18th place with just one point from three matches, following a goalless draw with Petrol Asyut and prior losses. Speaking after the final whistle, Ammouta praised his squad’s patience against a compact defence, emphasising that securing three points remains vital as Al Ahly prepare for their upcoming Matchweek 4 fixture against Arab Contractors.
