Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Al Ahly marked their return to Egyptian Premier League action in emphatic fashion, defeating Wadi Degla 3–1 at Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday night, in a match that ended a league absence of more than two months and reaffirmed the defending champions’ title ambitions.
The win came in the 16th round of the competition and saw Al Ahly deliver a largely dominant performance, underpinned by attacking efficiency and improved rhythm after a stop-start domestic schedule. Mahmoud Hassan “Trezeguet” opened the scoring in the first half, Ahmed Mostafa Zizo added a penalty just before the break, and Marwan Osman sealed the result with his first goal for the club in the second half. Ziad Osama scored a late consolation goal for Wadi Degla in stoppage time.
The match began at a measured pace, with Al Ahly gradually asserting control. Trezeguet signaled intent early on, testing Wadi Degla goalkeeper Amr Hossam in the sixth minute with a powerful individual effort from the left flank. Degla responded with a dangerous long-range strike seven minutes later, but Mohamed El Shenawy reacted well to keep the score level.
Al Ahly continued to probe, with attempts from Emam Ashour and sustained pressure inside Degla’s half. The breakthrough arrived in the 25th minute following a swift attacking move, as Zizo delivered a cross that was poorly cleared by the Degla defense, allowing Trezeguet to finish clinically and give Al Ahly a deserved lead.
Wadi Degla came close to equalizing shortly before halftime after a defensive lapse from Mohamed Hany, but Al Ahly survived the scare. The hosts then doubled their advantage in first-half stoppage time when the referee awarded a penalty following a VAR review. Zizo calmly converted to make it 2–0 heading into the interval.
The second half saw Wadi Degla attempt to press higher up the pitch in search of a way back into the match, but their possession rarely translated into clear chances. Al Ahly remained the more dangerous side, striking the post through Emam Ashour in the 54th minute before creating a succession of opportunities through Trezeguet, Zizo, and KoKa.
The decisive third goal came in the 67th minute when Marwan Osman rose unmarked to head home a precise cross from Emam Ashour, capping an impressive attacking move and marking a milestone moment for the forward in his Al Ahly career.
Al Ahly head coach Jes Thorup used the remainder of the match to rotate his squad, introducing several substitutes to manage fitness and maintain tempo. Despite a late lapse in concentration that allowed Ziad Osama to score for Wadi Degla in the fourth minute of added time, the outcome was never in doubt.
The victory saw Al Ahly reclaim momentum in the league after back-to-back draws earlier in the season against Petrojet and Al Masry. The result lifted Al Ahly to 26 points from 13 matches, placing them third in the standings with games in hand, while Wadi Degla remained on 23 points in fourth place after 15 matches.
With the league entering a decisive phase, the performance offered encouragement for Al Ahly supporters, highlighting attacking depth, squad rotation options, and a renewed push to close the gap at the top of the table.
