Ittihad condemned Zamalek to their third consecutive league defeat, claiming a comeback 2-1 victory away from home at Cairo Stadium on Thursday. Following two losses to Ismaily and Maqassa, Ittihad made sure Zamalek's hopes of finishing second this season were all but dashed with two quick goals in the second half. Bassem Morsi gave Zamalek the lead in the 20th minute, before Khaled El-Ghandour and Ghanaian center-back Wilson Akakpo turned on the tables on 80 and 82 minutes respectively. Zamalek manager Ehab Galal, whose future was up in the air ahead of the game, was dismissed shortly afterwards, ending an almost four-month spell at the helm. The Cairo giants remain third of the league table with 54 points, six adrift of second-placed Ismaily and two clear of fourth-placed Masry - who still have three games in hand. Two quick late goals After coming close twice early in the game, striker Bassem Morsi finally managed to break the deadlock in the 20th minute after meeting a cross from Tunisia right-back Hamdi Nagguez following an error from keeper El-Hani Soliman. Zamalek, who were largely the dominant side in the half, could have doubled their advantage 11 minutes later through midfielder Mahmoud Abdel-Aziz, who was unlucky to see his curling effort bounce off the bar. Early in the second half, Zamalek and keeper Ahmed El-Shennawi was forced off following a collision with substitute Mohamed Abdel-Meguid, as the understudy Mahmoud Gennesh came on. With Zamalek the dominant and more dangerous side on goal, the Cairo side looked on course to bagging a first league win in three games, only for a late revival from Ittihad eventually gave the visitors a precious comeback win. El-Ghandour pounced on a loose ball inside the area following some poor defending from the Whites to strike past keeper Gennesh and bring his side level. Just two minutes later, a header from defender Akakpo following a free-kick for Ittihad put the Alexandrians in front eight minutes before the end of regular time. Zamalek pushed forward in search for the equalizer, as defender Mahmoud Hamdi was unlucky to see a header go narrowly wide of the post, but it was too little tool late as Ittihad snatched all three points. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
