League drama as Ahly take giant stride towards title

Ahly strike deep in stoppage time to salvage a 2-2 home draw with Smouha and maintain a five-point lead over Zamalek with two matches to go

Ten-man Zamalek failed to make the most of Ahly's surprise 2-2 draw at home to Smouha after settling for a 1-1 draw at Ittihad in a breathtaking Egyptian Premier League round on Sunday.
Ahly defender Ahmed El-Sayed found an empty net in the dying seconds to prevent the team from suffering their second league defeat this season.
Ghanaian midfielder Godwin Attram gave Smouha a stunning two-goal cushion but substitute Osama Hosny pulled one back in the 79th minute via a superb half-volley.
Zamalek, who had star Mahmoud Abdel-Razek ‘Shikabala' sent off after the break, failed to take advantage of Ahly's draw after stumbling in Alexandria.
They grabbed a first-half lead through Qatari winger Hussein Yasser but Ittihad restored parity 11 minutes after the restart when left-back Mahmoud Shaker struck on the rebound after his initial spot-kick was saved by keeper Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed.
Ahly, who also netted a late equalizer to draw 2-2 with Zamalek in last week's Cairo derby, remain firm favourites to win the title. They need two points from their remaining two games against Maqassa and Arab Contractorsto officially secure a seventh consecutive league accolade.
Alexandria's most popular club Ittihad were relegated to the second division, so were neighbours Smouha and Arab Contractors, who were held to a goalless draw by Masry.
Early Onslaught
Zamalek had goalkeeper Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed to thank as they survived an early Ittihad onslaught.
The 34-year-old keeper, who was blamed for leaking two softgoals in the Cairo derby, blocked two goal-scoring opportunities in the first 20 minutes, including a close-range shot from Ittihad's Youssef Abdel-Rehim.
Zamalek took control afterwards, thanks to the tireless work of midfielders Ibrahim Salah and forwards Shikabala and Yasser.
A low shot from Salah went just wide of the post while Shikabala fired poorly wide after being found unmarked by a right-wing cross.
Zamalek's pressure paid dividends in the 41st minute when Yasser latched onto a superb defence-splitting pass from Shikabala to notch home with aplomb and give the visitors the lead.
Thrilling half
The second half was a thrilling affair as Ittihad were awarded a penalty in the 55th minuteafter defenderAmr El-Safty handled a cross in the area, a decision which incensed Zamalek players who harangued referee Fahim Omar.
Shaker's initial attempt was saved by El-Sayed but he made no mistake on the rebound to draw Ittihad level and prompt a furious reaction from Shikabala, who received two yellow cards in quick succession for mocking Omar.
But Zamalek were given a golden opportunity to restore their advantage after Yasser was pushed by an Ittihad defender as Omar instantly pointed to the spot seven minutes past the hour mark.
With Smouha leading 1-0 at that time, Zamalek's vociferous supporters were anxiously awaiting a second goal for their team but a poor shot from towering striker Ahmed Gaafar was thwarted by Ittihad keeper El-Hani Soliman.
Zamalek piled on pressure and squandered several clear-cut chances in the latter stages despite their numerical disadvantage but could not break down the hosts.
Their hearts were further broken when Ahly's El-Sayed scored just before the final whistle as the six-time African champions salvaged a home draw with Smouha to keep their lead over Zamalek intact.