Title holders Ahli leapfrogged over Zamalek and moved five points clear atop the domestic football league, Ahmed Morsy reports Though Zamalek were six points clear on top of the Egyptian national league table at the halfway point, over the weekend it was Ahli which edged closer to winning a seventh successive domestic league title after defeating Ismaili while Zamalek went down to Misri. Ahli now have 55 points, five ahead of arch- rivals, second-place Zamalek. In the 26th week of the season Ahli claimed a 2- 1 victory over bitter foes Ismaili in a thrilling clash at Cairo Stadium on Saturday following Zamalek's defeat at the hands of Misri 2-0 in Port Said on the same day. Ahli can just about wrap up their 36th league title if they beat Zamalek, who have not won the domestic premier competition since 2004, in Wednesday's Cairo derby, which Al-Ahram Weekly could not cover because of deadline constraints. Zamalek's only hope is not only beating Ahli in the derby but winning their remaining three games and Ahli stumbling in their last three. Misri's Malian player Eliassou Issiaka was the reason why Ahli displaced Zamalek at the top of the table after scoring two headers in Port Said to deal a serious blow to Zamalek's hopes of winning the title. Coastal club Misri, who moved into the sixth spot with 40 points, extended their unbeaten streak under coach Taha Basri to seven matches. Zamalek coach Hossam Hassan fielded natural right-back Ahmed Samir as a central defender to partner Mahmoud Fathallah in the heart of the team's backline due to the absence of defenders Amr El-Safti and Mohamed Younis who were suspended and injured respectively. Basri's side needed only six minutes to open the scoring and send the enthusiastic home supporters into ecstasy after Issiaka rose above two defenders at the near post to head home a corner past keeper Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed. The hosts remained the better side after going ahead, exploiting the huge gaps in Zamalek's shaky midfield, which included the disappointing Hassan Mustafa and ageing Hani Said, with a swift exchange of short passes. Zamalek only had a half-chance on the quarter hour mark when Omar Gaber cut inside his marker but could only send a poor shot with his weak left foot from inside the area. Qatari winger Hussein Yasser, who apparently started on the bench to avoid getting a yellow card which would rule him out of the anticipated Cairo derby, was introduced midway through the first half instead of Mustafa after Hassan sought to increase Zamalek's attacking options. But the substitution had little impact, with Masri wasting an opportunity to double their advantage three minutes before the break when a miss-timed jump by El-Sayed allowed Burkina Faso striker Abdoulaye Cisse to head home but his effort went just over the bar. Zamalek were further stunned in the beginning of the second half after Issiaka capitalised on a recurring defensive blunder to add the second and leave the visitors, whose spirit had broken, with a mountain to climb. Issiaka ghosted behind Zamalek defenders to meet an inch-perfect cross from Ahli's former left-back Ahmed Shedid with a superb diving header that went past the hapless El-Sayed. Shedid could have turned from provider to scorer following a breakaway effort five minutes past the hour mark but his shot hit the side netting after taking a slight deflection off Fathallah. Zamalek increased pressure in the latter stages but could only muster two shots which hardly troubled Masri. Zamalek's defeat certainly motivated Ahli in their game against Ismaili later in the evening. Ahli squandered their first opportunity as early as the seventh minute when striker Emad Meteb ran onto a pass from Mohamed Nagi 'Gedo' to send a curling shot that was blocked by Ismaili keeper Mohamed Fathi. Ismaili, who won the last of their three league titles in 2002, soon recovered from a shaky start to make their presence felt as defender Moatasem Salem was unlucky to see his close-range effort strike the post after an in-swinging free kick from Abdullah El-Said. However, it was Ahli who broke the deadlock on 23 minutes when Mohamed Barakat beat the offside trap upon latching onto a deft through pass from Hossam Ghali to chip the ball elegantly over the advancing Fathi and into the net. The second half was more exciting since Ismaili notched the equaliser just one minute after the restart. Nigerian striker Ndubuisi Godwin skipped past defender Ahmed El-Sayed on the right flank before whipping in a cross for Amr El-Sulaya to direct a header into the far corner of the net despite being under pressure from combative centre-half Wael Gomaa. However, Ismaili's celebrations were short-lived as Ahli regained their lead with a 57th-minute goal from Gedo. Gedo neatly exchanged passes with Mauritania striker Dominique Da Silva, who replaced Meteb in the second half, to slice the defence open and notch home with aplomb. Ahli coach Manuel Jose opted for a more cautious strategy after his side went ahead, introducing defensive midfielder Moataz Eno instead of Gedo, who was applauded by the fans while on his way to the dugout. Meanwhile, Brazilian striker Bruno Moraes signed a two-year contract with Ahli after passing a physical, the club said on Saturday. Moraes had a five-year stint with Porto but was loaned out for most of his time there, featuring for Vitoria Setubal and Rio Ave. He then moved to Gloria Bistrita and Naval respectively. The 26-year-old forward joined on a free transfer and could play for Ahli starting next season. He will be available for selection in the group stage of the African Champions League, which starts midway through July. Jose hopes Moraes will add strength to his attacking line, alongside Emad Meteb and Da Silva after a loss of firepower throughout the season because of injuries.
