Zamalek soared to the top of the Egyptian Premier League table temporarily after defeating Abou Qir Fertilisers 2–0 on Tuesday evening at Cairo International Stadium, as part of the fourth round of the 2026–2027 season.
The White Knights established their dominance early on, translating their control into a goal in the 17th minute when Mahmoud Bentayg delivered a cross that Mohamed Ismail capitalized on—taking advantage of goalkeeper Mahmoud Gennesh rushing off his line—to slot the ball into the empty net and score his first league goal in a Zamalek shirt.
Abou Qir Fertilisers attempted to bounce back during the second half, forcing goalkeeper Mahdy Soliman into two crucial saves before the post denied the visitors an equalizer in the 66th minute. Zamalek responded with a clear-cut opportunity of their own, as Oday Dabbagh saw his strike rattle the crossbar before Chico Banza was unable to turn the rebound home.
The decisive blow arrived in the 87th minute through substitute Ahmed Sherif, who gathered a pass from Bentayg and unleashed a brilliant strike to extinguish Abou Qir’s hopes of a comeback. The Moroccan full-back provided both assists in the match, while Zamalek secured their third clean sheet in four league fixtures.
With this result, Zamalek raised their tally to 10 points from three wins and a draw, taking a temporary one-point lead over Pyramids, Al Ahly, and Ceramica Cleopatra. Meanwhile, Abou Qir Fertilisers remained stuck on 3 points in 15th place after suffering their third consecutive defeat.
Zamalek kicked off their league campaign with a goalless draw against Ittihad Alexandria before stringing together three straight victories over Bank El Ahly (3–0), Montakhab Suez / Petrojet (2–1), and Abou Qir Fertilisers (2–0).
The White Castle have scored 7 goals across their opening four matches while conceding just once, highlighting the defensive solidity of Moatamed Gamal’s side despite squad depth challenges and a lack of summer reinforcements.
Zamalek now turn their focus to the CAF Champions League, where they will host Djibouti’s AS Port on Saturday, September 12, in the second leg of the preliminary round—armed with a 2–1 advantage from the first leg—before resuming domestic duties against Ghazl El Mahalla away on Wednesday, September 16.
