Ahly repeated their recent triumph over Pyramids FC to secure a record-extending 13th Egyptian Super Cup title on Friday with a hard-fought 1-0 win in the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
The Red Devils were forced to wait for an extra-time penalty kick from Ali Maaloul to seal the win in front of a sea of red-clad fans.
Pyramids FC, who replaced forfeited-Zamalek in the competition, offered resistance and had several chances throughout the game, but were eventually overrun by their dominant rivals.
Ahly’s victory marks their third trophy of the season, following their success in the 2021 Super Cup in October and the Egypt Cup 2022 in April. They are now hot favorites for this season’s league title and remain in contention for the African Champions League and the 2023 Egypt Cup, putting them in the running for an unprecedented sextuple.
The match began with Ahly putting early pressure on Pyramids FC but failing to trouble goalkeeper Ahmed El Shennawy.
Pyramids FC quickly regained their composure and pushed Ahly back, with international goalkeeper Mohamed El Shennawy stepping up with some vital saves to keep his team in the game.
Marcel Koller’s men improved after the interval and created their best chance through Ahmed Abdel-Kader but Moroccan midfielder Walid El Karti made a perfectly-timed sliding tackle to stop a certain goal from point-blank range.
At the other end, El Shennawy made a brilliant save to deny El Karti’s attempt from close range.
Although Ahly dominated possession, Pyramids FC sat back on defence and the Red Devils struggled to create clear-cut chances.
However, the game went to extra-time, where second-half substitute Mahmoud “Kahraba” Abdel-Moneim broke clear and was brought down by defender Ahmed Samy in the area to earn a penalty.
Specialist Ali Maaloul converted the penalty kick in the 96th minute.
Kahraba and Hussein El-Shahat had the chance to put the game beyond doubt but their poor finishing kept the score tight.
Pyramids FC attacked en masse in the final minutes, but in-form El-Shennawy displayed a brilliant performance to protect his team’s victory.
Source: State Information Service Egypt