Ahli and Ismaili showed why they are currently Egypt's best two football clubs. Alaa Shahine reports on the cream at the top Click to view caption Joint leaders Ismaili and Ahli are hoping to cement their positions on top of the standings when they take on Qanah and Ghazl Al-Mehalla respectively tomorrow as the race for the Egyptian football league title goes down to the wire. With only three matches to go in the see-saw season, both teams are atop the summit of the premier Egyptian soccer competition on 57 points, eight clear of former leaders and defending champions Zamalek who have spiralled out of control and are just about out of contention. Apart from tomorrow's matches, Ismaili face Baladia away from home before ending the season against Misri in Ismailia. Ahli take on bottom of the table Sohag and the Arab Contractors in Cairo. If the two front-runners continue their winning ways, they will play a record-breaking third league-deciding play-off. In 1990, Ismaili cruised past Ahli 2-0 to lift the trophy before Ahli got sweet revenge three years later with an emphatic 4-3 victory. On Monday, the Red Devils were close to repeating that famous victory of nine years ago, prevented only by a last-gasp goal by Ismaili's right back Attya Saber. Saber's penalty tied it at 4-4, ending a pulsating game of back-and-forth goals. Two minutes had been played in injury time at a sold-out Cairo Stadium when Spanish referee Victor Tores whistled for a penalty and showed Ahli defender Shadi Mohamed the red card for handling the ball on the goal line. Saber coolly fired the spot kick past Essam El-Hadari, ending Ahli's hopes of a three-point lead in the standings. It was a much-deserved tie for Mohsen Saleh's side which took the lead three times but were never able to shake off an inspired Ahli side which levelled 3-3 midway through the second half and went ahead three minutes from time, only for Ismaili to tie in overtime. Playing without key players Ibrahim Said and Khaled Bibo, Ahli had the upper hand in terms of possession and chances created, but the visitors were more clinical, finishing four fine build-ups. They scored the go-ahead goal 31 minutes into the kick-off through midfielder Mohamed Barakat, who seemed to be running on ever-ready batteries throughout the night. Barakat went one-on-one with El-Hadari after a laser Ahmed Fathi pass and slotted home with ease. Ahli's response came fast through Ahmed Belal who received the ball in the heart of the area and rounded Emad El- Nahhas before firing a left-foot shot into the back of the net. Ismaili struck right back, in the 42nd minute, regaining the lead with a powerful Amr Fahim header that left El-Hadari stranded. Ahli, however, answered with a goal on the stroke of half-time following a well-placed header by Mohamed Farouk after Mohamed Omara's inch-perfect cross. Hossam Ghali might have scored in the 53rd minute but his header thudded against the crossbar. And while Ahli were dominating, the visitors hit again, awarded a penalty kick after Saber was downed in the area by Omara. Islam El-Shattir rifled the ball home with ease. Ahli again went on the attack but were denied by Ismaili keeper Mohamed Sobhi who tipped away Wael Gomaa's close effort, but he could do nothing to stop Belal. The 22-year-old was at the end of an Alaa Ibrahim cross and struck in almost identical fashion as his first goal, making it 3-3 in the 77th minute. Ibrahim was close to adding his name to the score sheet but Sobhi pushed his swerving shot away for a corner. Ibrahim, though, was called up to take the third penalty of the night, netting Ahli's fourth goal with just three minutes left before Saber ended the evening's fireworks in the same manner. It is small wonder Ahli had the stamina to be part of such a breathtaking performance, coming as it did just four days after their historic 6-1 defeat of Zamalek in the biannual Cairo derby. The 29-time league winners wrapped up the incredible victory before the interval, courtesy of three goals by Reda Shehata, Ibrahim Said and Khaled Bibo before veteran striker Hossam Hassan pulled one back for Zamalek. But that would be all Zamalek would get after which Bibo swung into action, notching a hat-trick in the second half, his four goals now etched in derby folklore. The defeat, the worst inflicted by either side in their 89 previous meetings, generated a wave of anger among Zamalek supporters. Reports say the team's German coach, Otto Pfister, is apparently on the verge of being shown the door by the club's board. Zamalek failed to shake off the defeat, going down 1-0 to relegation-threatened Qanah on Monday. It was Zamalek's fourth defeat this season and even though they have a mathematical chance of winning the league they would have to sweep their final three games and hope that both Ahli and Ismaili suffer amazing collapses. Ghazl El-Suez emulated Ahli, hammering Sohag 6-0, while Misri continued their resurgence, securing a vital 2-0 home victory over Tersana. Other encounters saw Ittihad snatch a late 1-0 win over Mehalla, the Contractors play to a scoreless tie with Mansoura and Goldi and Baladia drawing 1-1.
