Al Ahly recorded their second consecutive Egyptian Premier League victory after defeating ZED FC 2-0 at Cairo International Stadium on Friday in the second round of the competition.
Houcine Ammouta’s side produced a more balanced performance than in their opening match and controlled possession from the start, while ZED relied on a compact defensive setup and counter-attacks.
Al Ahly converted their dominance into the opening goal in the 21st minute. Marwan Attia intercepted ZED’s attempt to play out from the back before finding Achraf Bencharki inside the penalty area, and the Moroccan winger placed a low shot beyond Ali Lotfi.
ZED almost equalised shortly before half-time when Ahmed Adel’s effort struck the crossbar, while Mohamed Rabia sent the rebound over the goal. Taher Mohamed Taher doubled Al Ahly’s lead in the 61st minute, with the goal awarded following a VAR review.
Al Ahly protected their advantage for the remainder of the game, with the defence comfortably handling ZED’s attempts. The team kept a clean sheet and showed greater stability after the defensive problems that emerged in the opening round.
This was Al Ahly’s second win of the season after beginning their campaign with a difficult 3-2 victory over Al Sharqiya Enppi despite falling two goals behind. The result took the Red Devils to six points and second place, behind leaders Pyramids on goal difference.
Al Ahly will host Smouha at Cairo International Stadium on Thursday, 3 September, in the third round, looking to maintain their perfect start and increase the early pressure at the top of the table.
