Ahli surrendered a two-goal lead to let Gaish claim a 2-2 draw in a pulsating Egyptian Premier League clash, boosting the hopes of their competitors to launch a serious assault on the title. The Red Devils, runaway leaders until the halfway stage and firm favorites to add a 35th league title to their trophy-laden cabinet, were held to a draw for the second successive match, but this time in stunning manner. Having led at the break with two goals from Egypt striker Emad Meteb after producing a ruthless attacking display, Ahli were expected to add more goals in the second half. However, they eased off the gas to allow Gaish to roar back and level the score, thanks to a thunderous shot from Talaat Moharam and a dreadful blunder from Ahli keeper Sherif Ekrami. Ekrami, who was making his second start after joining Ahli from Gouna in January, spilled a weak header from Togolese striker Mikael Dogbe, who notched home on the rebound with one minute remaining. "We made naïve mistakes tonight. The players inexplicably relaxed after scoring two goals," Ahli coach Hossam Al-Badri said after the game. "All the players are to blame for this result. Their approach to the second half is inexcusable." Second-placed Petrojet are one of the teams who will take heart from Ahli's draw, having defeated Gouna 3-1 to come to within five points of the Cairo giants. They will cut the gap to two points if they win their game in hand against Zamalek next month. Egyptian international forward Al-Sayed Hamdi put them ahead against Gouna before Ghanaian Cofie Bekoe scored for the second match running to double their lead. Hassan Gomaa wrapped up the win 13 minutes after the restart as Petrojet, who vowed to push Ahli all the way, maintained their fine run of results. Third-placed Ismaili, who were defeated by Petrojet in their previous game, lost more ground after conceding a stoppage-time goal in a 1-1 draw at Arab Contractors. The Dervishes once again lacked spark and creativity, mounting further pressure on beleaguered coach Emad Soliman. They are now eight points behind Ahli, who played a game more.
Petrojet keep the pace "There are some fans who want us to sack Soliman but it is not an easy decision," Ismaili chairman Nasr Aboul-Hassan said. "Yes the technical staff did some mistakes but we should trust them, especially ahead of our important Champions League game against (Kenyan side) Sofapaka." Remarkable Comeback? Zamalek were one of the relegation-threatened teams few weeks ago, but now they could have realistic hopes of causing a major upset in the title race. The arrival of Hossam Hassan as head coach sparked a revival, with Zamalek winning sixth consecutive games and conceding just one goal in process. They claimed a 2-1 Ittihad in a tense affair, thanks to a precious winner from in-form striker Ahmed Gaafar, who was one of the fringe players to be given a new lease of life by Hassan. If Zamalek beat Petrojet next month, they will be seven points adrift of arch-rivals Ahli - a gap that can be bridged. Masri, who lie 11th in the league table, extended their unbeaten run under new coach Theo Buecker to four games after earning a 1-1 draw with Harras Hodoud. Struggling side Hodoud grabbed the lead via a goal from Egypt forward Ahmed Eid but Ahmed Shedid secured a share of spoils after converting a controversial second-half penalty. Minusu Buba become the league's new top scorer when he scored twice to help Police Union defeat Asyut Petroleum 2-1 The Nigerian striker has 12 goals to his name, one ahead of Petrojet's Eric Bekoe. Military Production moved into sixth place with a 3-1 win over a stuttering ENPPI side while Mansoura kept alive their hopes of surviving relegation after securing a surprising 1-0 victory at Ghazl Mahalla. Egyptian league round in pictures
