Ismaily eased into the Egypt Cup semi-finals, defeating Al-Nasr 1-0 in the quarter-final Monday at Gouna stadium in Hurghada. The coastal club gained their superiority early in the match when midfielder Hosni Abd-Raouh surprised Al-Nasr with a goal in the fourth minute of the first half. The second division team, Al-Nasr, wasn't easy to swallow for the Yellows though, exhausting their backline in a desperate battle for an equaliser. The holders of two trophies, 1997 and 2000, Ismaily will compete with hopefuls Wadi Degla in the semi-finals, while the 21-time champions Zamalek will meet military club Tala El-Giesh. The two semi-final games are scheduled for Sunday, six days before the final that is set to be held on 9 November. All games of the tournament, that has been revived after a four-month break following the ouster of president Mohamed Morsi on 3 July, are being held behind closed doors in Gouna, 430KM from the capital due to security concerns. The tournament's favorites, Zamalek, last won the Cup title in 2008, after which Haras El-Hodoud clinched it twice and ENPPI topped the last tournament in 2011/2012. Zamalek's arch-rivals, Ahly, who hold a record of 33 Cups, have skipped the current competition due to financial sponsorship issues. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sportsand on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/84976.aspx
