The postponement of the local derby had a detrimental effect on arch-rivals Ahli and Zamalek, Ahmed Morsy reports In the 13th week of the domestic league, title holders Ahli were forced to yield into a crucial 3-3 draw against Enppi on Sunday, less than a week after their 1-0 loss to Police Union. And rival Zamalek suffered a stunning 1-0 home defeat to Ismaili after a goalless draw with league leaders Petrojet a week earlier. Ahli and Zamalek, the country's two powerhouses, might have been rusty after their derby was postponed due to a dispute over TV broadcasting rights. Six-time African champions Ahli started the game against Enppi without influential playmaker Mohamed Abou Treika. Ahmed Fathi was given his first start of the season with Mohamed Barakat playing behind strikers Osama Hosni and Amado Flavio. In the 35th minute, Barakat broke the deadlock by bringing down a loose ball between three Enppi defenders before firing a clever shot with the outside of his right foot past the helpless Essam Mahmoud to give his red side the lead. Just four minutes later, Flavio cemented Ahli's lead the lead when Gilberto's free kick from the left flank was met by Wael Gomaa at the far post who flicked the cross down to Flavio who connected with a header from close range. However, just before the end of the first half, Enppi were given a lifeline thanks to a Rami Adel own goal. Adel headed into his own net while trying to clear Ayman Said's cross. Barakat was there again to widen the gap again to two, two minutes after restart, when Hossam Ashour released him through on goal with a brilliant pass. Barakat knew exactly what to do as he brought the ball down with his right and fired in with his left. Ahli players slowed down the tempo in hopes of the game's three points. Consequently, Enppi bounced back once more in the 74th minute when Ahmed El-Mohamedi's pinpoint cross from the right flank found the unguarded Ahmed Raouf, who did well to head into Amir Abdel-Hamid's far corner. Enppi's efforts to equalise received a blow when skipper Ayman Said received his marching orders in the 82nd minute after being shown a second yellow card. They, however, successfully equalised in the last minute when Vincent Die Foneye's chip pass was cleverly volleyed by El-Mohamedi towards Raouf, who once again slotted home from the heart of the Ahli defence. Defending champions Ahli were left in sixth place with 17 points from nine games and four games in hand. Enppi are still second with 24 points, just four behind leaders Petrojet. Ahli assistant coach Hossam El-Badri said his players' lackadaisical attitude when they were 3-1 up helped Enppi to get back in the game and secure a late 3-3 draw. "Our mistake was feeling that the game's points were guaranteed when we were 3-1 up," El-Badri said. "I want to congratulate Enppi for their fighting spirit until the final minute of the game," he added. El-Badri added that his players were playing the game with one eye on the Club World Cup, which they are participating in from 11-21 December . "I'm really surprised that the players are thinking about the World Cup. We should have enough experience to separate every competition from the other." Zamalek remained fifth on 18 points while Ismaili are in third place with 23 points. On the same day, Zamalek keeper Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed made a string of heroic saves but his side still could not avoid a 1-0 home defeat against Ismaili. International goalie El-Sayed blocked more than four clear-cut chances, however, Abdullah Shahat scored the winner in the 44th minute of the first half through a close-range shot. Zamalek's angry fans in Cairo International Stadium booed coach Reiner Hollmann and all the players except El-Sayed. Iraqi striker Mustafa Karim went one-on-one with El-Sayed three times but Egypt's keeper prevailed on all occasions, blocking the path of Karim in the first and palming his shots on the other.
