Zamalek Wins African Super Cup for the Fifth Time

Egypt’s Zamalek secured a thrilling 4-3 win on penalties against Al-Ahly to claim the African Super Cup for the fifth time in history. The match, held at the Kingdom Arena Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, ended 1-1 after regular time.

The match was marked by intense competition between the two teams, with Al-Ahly’s Wissam Abu Ali opening the scoring in the 44th minute through a penalty kick. However, Zamalek equalized in the 77th minute through Nasser Mansi’s direct shot.

The penalty shootout saw Zamalek emerge victorious, with Abdullah Al-Said, Hamza Al-Mathlouthi, Nasser Mansi, and Hossam Abdel Majid scoring for the team. Al-Ahly’s Yahya Attia Allah and Abu Ali missed their kicks, securing the win for Zamalek.

Match Highlights

The match began with both teams creating scoring opportunities. Al-Ahly’s Abu Ali fired a direct free kick in the sixth minute, which Zamalek goalkeeper Mohamed Awad blocked. Nasser Maher responded with a powerful shot from outside the area that went near the left post of the Al-Ahli goal.

In the 11th minute, Al-Said played a free kick, which Hamza Mathluthi headed over the crossbar. Al-Ahly were forced to make a change in the 25th minute, with right back Mohammad Hani going off injured and Omar Kamal coming in to replace him.

Akram Tawfiq almost scored in the 35th minute after Zamalek entered the penalty area and shot a ball that was blocked by the goalkeeper. The referee awarded a penalty kick after consulting the video assistant referee technology.

The match was stopped for almost nine minutes as Zamalek players objected to the penalty kick being awarded and threatened to withdraw from the match. Abu Ali successfully scored a penalty kick in the middle of the goal in the 44th minute.

Second-Half Action

Zamalek imposed their control at the start of the second half, possessing the ball and being the most dangerous. Zamalek striker Mostafa Shalabi fired a powerful ball over the crossbar, then Nasser Maher’s shot went wide on 55 minutes.

Al-Ahly’s performance improved midway through the second half after making several changes, but Zamalek were without a goal threat. In the 77th minute, Badli Mansi scored Zamalek with a direct shot from Omar Gaber’s cross.

Mansi nearly scored a second goal two minutes later, but Al-Ahly’s defense intervened at the right time. Al-Shahat shot a weak ball in the 82nd minute, but the Zamalek goalkeeper firmly blocked it before the two teams took penalty kicks, which Zamalek won.