Al Ahly’s football first team achieved their third consecutive victory on Wednesday in the league after defeating Wadi Degla 2-1 at Al Ahly WE Al Salam Stadium.
Tonight’s win was mainly down to a great second-half performance, thanks to two sensational goals from Kahraba and Sherif.
With that result, the Red Eagles climbed up to the top of the league table with 61 points.
The First Half
With only two minutes on the clock, Wadi Degla were awarded a penalty after the ball hit Mohamed Hany’s hand inside the box. However, after checking the VAR, the referee ruled out the penalty due to an offside.
Minutes went on and the Red Eagles started to put on more pressure to score the opener, but Wadi Degla’s defenders stood their ground.
The best chance came in the 15th minute. Ali Maaloul sent a brilliant long ball to Mohamed Sherif, who received the ball and fired a strong shot off-target; however Sherif was caught offside.
Two minutes later, Afsha dribbled past the defender on the right flank and sent a cross, but it was cleared away by Wadi Degla’s defender.
In the 20th minute, Wadi Degla had a clear scoring chance, as their player sent a dangerous cross from the right flank, but it was blocked by Ramy Rabia who managed to keep it away from Degla’s striker.
The Red Eagles controlled the game’s tempo, searching for the opener, but Wadi Degla’s defenders managed to keep all the attempts away.
The most notable effort came in the 25th minute, as Afsha’s bicycle kick was about to find the bottom corner, but Mohamed Abdel Monsef was there to keep it away from his net.
In the 36th minute, Afsha ran on the right flank and passed the ball to Sherif, who tried his luck, but the ball went to a goal-kick.
Three minutes before the break, we missed another scoring chance. Afsha received a long ball on the right side, and then sent a cross inside the box, but his pass missed Kahraba and went to a goal kick.
The minutes went on and the first half ended goalless although we dominated possession, but the good defensive work of Wadi Degla limited the chances of scoring the opener.
The Second Half
The second half began at a fast pace and Al Ahly took the lead after only 60 seconds of the second half.
El Shahat sent a sensational cross from the right flank, and Sherif received the ball, but his shot was blocked by Abdel Monsef. However, the ball went to Kahraba, who converted it into the net to give us a 1-0 lead.
Two minutes later, we had a chance to extend our lead. El Shahat sent another sensational cross and Kahraba met the ball with his head, but it went straight to Abdel Monsef’s hands to keep the result 1-0.
We kept dominating the game in the minutes that followed the goal but Degla’s defenders managed to block our attempts.
Maaloul delivered a brilliant cross that met Sherif’s header, who changed its direction towards the net, but once again, Abdel Monsef was there to save his net.
In the 52nd minute, Kahraba ran from the left flank and sent a cross, but the defender blocked the ball. Sherif then controlled the ball and tried to dribble past the defender, but he was awarded a vital foul on the edge of the box due to a late challenge. El Shahat stood behind the ball, but his shot hit Wadi Degla’s defenders.
In the 60th minute of the game, a brilliant pass from Afsha met Sherif’s leg, who tapped the ball into the net, bringing his tally for the season to 17 goals.
Seven minutes later, Wadi Degla’s moment came as Ahmed Sherif scored his team’s first goal to make the result 2-1.
With 19 minutes on the clock, Pitso Mosimane brought Amr El Soulia into the game. Mosimane then made his second substitution in the 85th minute, as Bwalya joined the match instead of Sherif.
Our head coach used his bench again in the 90th minute, as Mahmoud Wahid and Salah Mohsen joined the game.
In the 94th minute, Mahmoud Wahid announced his appearance after scoring the third goal of the encounter. Wahid received the ball on the left flank, and fired a strong shot which hit the bottom corner of Abdel Monsef’s net. However, the referee disallowed the goal after checking the VAR, due to a foul made by Salah Mohsen against Degla’s player.
The final minutes went on and the referee blew his final whistle to declare a 2-1 victory for the Red Eagles that sent us to the top of the league table.
Match Sheet
Venue: Al Ahly WE Al Salam Stadium
Referee: Ibrahim Nour El Din
Occasion: Postponed game from Matchday 22 of the Egyptian Premier League
Substitutions:
Kahraba (Amr El Soulia)
Sherif (Walter Bwalya)
Afsha (Mahmoud Wahid)
El Shahat (Salah Mohsen)
Goals:
Kahraba 46’
Sherif 60’
Ahmed Sherif 67’ (Wadi Degla)
Next Game:
On Saturday 7 August July in the Egyptian Premier League against Ceramica Cleopatra
