Al-Ahly will encounter Zamalek on Wednesday in the last 16 of the Egyptian Cup after an easy 3-0 victory over Second-Division Nabaroh Saturday night in the Delta city of Mansoura. Zamalek also qualified for the last 16, beating hosts Fayyoum 1-0 late on Saturday. Wednesday's game will be the third this season for the two teams. They met twice in the Egyptian Premier League, drawing on both occasions. But the last 16 game on Wednesday will be a head-to-head clash, with one of the top teams -league titleholders Ahly and runners-up Zamalek - inevitably having to bow out. Ahly, the ‘Red Devils', who want to do the double after winning a sixth consecutive league title, found no difficulty in brushing aside their weak opponents. A brace from striker Mohamed Fadl, playing on his own upfront due to a shortage of options, and a goal from substitute Ahmed Shokri lifted Ahly, who have won the cup a record 35 times, to the next round. Playmaker Mohamed Abou Treika, who is struggling to regain top form after recovering from a serious foot injury in February, wasted an early chance to put Ahly in front, but Fadl made amends in the 30th minute. Attacking midfielder Ahmed Hassan intercepted a poor pass from Nabaroh, defender Mahmoud Bakr and crossed for the unmarked Fadl inside the area to send a low right-footed shot into the bottom corner. Mohamed Barakat, who scored Ahly's last-gasp equaliser in the 3-3 Cairo derby draw with Zamalek last month, limped off injured in the second half. Barakat will be fit to feature in Wednesday's clash. He made way for youngster Shokri, who has established himself as a key Ahly player after being promoted to the first team by coach Hossam el-Badri this season. Fadl doubled Ahly's advantage nine minutes after the restart with a superb volley, capitalising on a poor defensive clearance. Shokri completed the rout in the 74th minute with a simple header after the Nabaroh's keeper failed to handle a tame cross from Ahly's right-back Ahmed Ali. Ahmed Gaafar, who was Zamalek's top scorer in the Egyptian League with nine goals as his side finished runners up to champions Ahly, scored in the 68th minute to end the resistance of Fayyoum. The Cairo side avoided last season's nightmare scenario when they bowed out at the first hurdle after losing 1-0 to third-tier Bani Obeid. Zamalek struggled to threaten Fayyoum's goalkeeper in the first half, with their forwards unable to hold off challengers. Gaafar and attacking midfielders Alaa Ali, Shikabala and Ivorian Remi Adiko could not carve out space for themselves against a resilient Fayyoum side, who wasted a golden opportunity to stun the visitors. In the 30th minute, Fayyoum's Farag Abdel-Mohsen rose unmarked to head a corner goalwards, but Zamalek's keeper Abdel-Wahed el-Sayyed superbly tipped the ball onto the bar. Zamalek continued to pass the ball aimlessly in the early minutes of the second half before coach Hossam Hassan made the difference by introducing winger Hussein Yasser. Yasser replaced the ineffective Adiko, who recently expressed his delight at returning to Zamalek's fold after a long absence, but hardly repaid Hassan's faith. It was a neat move from Yasser, which helped Gaafar break the deadlock eight minutes past the hour mark. He evaded a defender on the right and whipped in a pinpoint cross for the towering Gaafar to head home. The match was halted for several minutes shortly after that, following a bizarre incident in the stands. TV cameras caught Zamalek's fans hurling stones at people standing on the balconies of nearby buildings. Security forces eventually intervened to end the matter, arresting 14 of these thugs. Fayyoum could have scored a shocking equaliser deep in stoppage time, but once again el-Sayyed, one of Zamalek's most consistent performers this season, came to their rescue. He dived full stretch to block Mohamed Hassan's low shot from the edge of the area. In the Canal city of Ismailia, Petrojet qualified for the last 16 in the Egyptian Cup Saturday night with an easy 3-0 victory over Qanah. In the 38th minute, Marwan Mohssen scored the opener, his teammate Mohamed Hafez added the second goal in the 58th minute and Hani Hassan made it three in the 70th minute. Meanwhile, in Port Said, Ghazl Mahalla sought consolation in the Egyptian Cup after being relegated to the Second Division, but were disappointed, losing to Second Division side Canal Mooring & Lights 4-3 on penalties after a 2-2 draw to suffer a first-round exit from Egypt's oldest competition. In the Upper Egyptian city of Assiut, Assiut Petroleum needed four goals from Wael Farrag to claim a 5-3 victory at home over Alexandria-based club Koroum in a thrilling game in the same competition late on Saturday. Gouna, who survived relegation on the final day of the Premier League this season, went through to the Egyptian Cup last 16 after defeating El-Dakhlia 4-3 on penalties in Cairo Saturday night. Additional reporting from local news and Figoal.com.
