Al Ahly’s 2025-26 Egyptian Cup campaign came to an early end after a 2-1 defeat to Telecom Egypt in the Round of 32.
The Red Devils were missing several key international players, most notably Emam Ashour and Ahmed Sayed Zizo, who were away on the Africa Cup of Nations. Despite this, Al Ahly fielded a number of experienced players.
The Al Ahly lineup included Moroccan professional Ashraf Dari, Omar Kamal Abdelwahed, Ahmed Nabil Kouka, Nits Gradiskar, Mohamed Sherif, and Taher Mohamed Taher – all regular starters in coach Jess Torop’s squad.
In the 41st minute, Omar Kamal Abdelwahed scored Al Ahly’s first goal, and the score remained 1-0 until the final 10 minutes, when the tide turned completely.
In the 75th minute, Mostafa Fawzy came on as a substitute, and just five minutes later, he scored the first goal for Telecom Egypt, surprising Al Ahly, who found themselves forced to attack in search of a second goal.
In the 95th minute, Taher Mohamed Taher received his second yellow card and was sent off, forcing Al Ahly to play extra time with 10 men.
In the 109th minute, Mostafa Fawzy scored again, this time for Telecom Egypt, scoring their second goal and delivering one of the biggest upsets of the cup by eliminating Al Ahly, who had previously won the title 39 times.
Telecom Egypt became the third second-division team to defeat Al Ahly in the Egypt Cup, after Al Mokawloon in 2004 and Petrojet in 2008.
This early exit is not expected to go unnoticed by Al Ahly’s management, and it may prove to be the final straw for several senior players after their disappointing performance at Al Salam Stadium.
