Mohamed Abou-Treika once again underlined the gulf in class between him and the other Egyptian playmakers to inspire Ahli to a 2-1 victory over promoted Mansoura that kept them clear of their rivals. The classy attacking midfielder scored either side of the interval to give Ahli all three points but also bamboozled opposing defenders with his silky and deft through passes. Mansoura defenders found it difficult to contain a player whose contribution with the Red Devils since joining in January 2004 earned him cult status among the team's fans. "With such a display, Abou-Treika silenced critics," renowned pundit Alaa Sadek said. "He can score more than one goal against Algeria," he added in reference to Egypt's crunch World Cup qualifier against Algeria at Cairo Stadium next month. Abou-Treika, who netted three league goals so far this season, produced precise finishes to give Ahli their second successive win that maintained their three-point lead over second-placed Petrojet, who snatched a late victory over Police Union. Petrojet fell behind to a goal from Nigerian striker Minusu Buba after five minutes but Eric Bekoe restored parity ten minutes after the restart. The Ivorian striker scored his second of the night and his fifth this season to hand Petrojet a precious victory with three minutes remaining.
Late win for Petrojet Mokhtar Mokhtar's side will be hoping to avoid the scenario of every season - an impressive start and an unconvincing finale. "We at least want to finish second to play in the Champions League," coach Mokhtar, under whom Petrojet sealed promotion to the Premier League in 2006 before going on to become one of the Egyptian football heavyweights, said after the game. Last season's runners-up Ismaili, unlike Petrojet, further fell behind defending champions Ahli in the title race after being held to a 1-1 home draw by Gaish. Gaish's Talaat Moharam stunned the home crowd after six minutes but midfielder Abdullah Shahat secured a share of spoils after 17 minutes. Ismaili are struggling to cope without the presence of influential attacking midfielders Omar Gamal and Abdullah Saied, who are both out due to injuries. They are now five points adrift of bitter rivals Ahli. "There is still a long way to go. We are still in the race," the Dervishes coach Emad Soliman commented. Not Enough Mido's maiden goal with Zamalek was not enough to prevent them from extending their winless run to three games after a 1-1 home draw with newcomers Gouna.
Mido scores against Gouna Towering striker Mido, who joined Zamalek from Middlesbrough on a season-long loan, was widely criticized for his failure to make an early impact but he said he needed time to blossom. His view might be justified after he put in a fine performance to spare the White Knights' blushes against a team who barely looked dangerous. The visitors took a surprising lead when Ahmed Omran, an ex-Zamalek midfielder, capitalized on a dreadful error by keeper Mohamed Abdul-Monsef to head home two minutes before the break. Mido leveled the score on 47 minutes with a powerful first-time shot after a cross from left-back Sabri Rahil. Zamalek, who won the last of their 11 league titles in 2004, lie ninth in the table with eight points, nine behind Cairo rivals Ahli. The pressure is mounting on French coach Henri Michel, who may be sacked if the team fail to beat Military Production on Saturday. ENPPI, who exited the African Confederation Cup after losing 6-4 on aggregate to Mali's Stade Malien in the semi final, allayed their African woes with a deserved 2-1 home win over Harras Hodoud. They can narrow the gap with Ahli to just one point if they win their two games in hand. Struggling side Ittihad claimed their first win of the season after beating Military Production 1-0, Ghazl Mahalla remained in the relegation zone after a 1-1 draw with Arab Contractors and Masri heaped more misery on bottom side Asyut Petroleum with a 2-1 victory.
