Mohamed Barakat struck in stoppage time to give Ahli a thrilling 3-3 draw with arch-rivals Zamalek in the Cairo derby on Friday. The result postponed Ahli's league celebrations as a victory would have officially handed them a sixth consecutive title. Zamalek led twice in the first half through goals from Ahmed Gaafar and Hussein Yasser, who scored against the club he left in January, but Ahli striker Emad Meteb cut short their celebrations on both occasions with two poacher's goals. Left-back Mohamed Abdul-Shafi looked to have handed Zamalek their first derby win since May 2007 when he notched home with 11 minutes remaining. However, veteran midfielder Barakat came to Ahli's rescue with a powerful shot that left Zamalek keeper Abdul-Wahed Al-Sayed with no chance in the second minute of additional time. It is the third consecutive Cairo derby draw after both sides settled for goalless draws in their previous two league meetings. Ahli, who enjoy a nine-point lead over second-placed Zamalek, need to get just one point from their remaining four games to wrap up their 35th league title. Zamalek will be looking to finish second to play in next season's African Champions League. Petrojet, who defeated Mansoura 1-0 earlier in the day, are three points behind the White Knights but can bridge that gap of they win their game in hand. Early Lead Zamalek needed just two minutes to take the lead after some fine individual work from Shikabala, a lively playmaker who caused Ahli's defense all sorts of problems during the first half. A neat feint allowed him to skip past central defender Sherif Abdul-Fadil on the right before whipping in a pinpoint cross for towering striker Gaafar, who beat his marker Wael Gomaa to head home. Zamalek continued to have the upper hand after going ahead but Ahli managed to level the score in the 18th minute after some sloppy defending from defender Amr Al-Safti. Meteb was under pressure from Al-Safti but he held him off in mid-air to head home from close range after a free kick from Mohamed Abou-Treika.
Meteb scored twice Ivorian midfielder Remi Adiko was surprisingly included in Zamalek's starting line-up after a long absence but he could not make a notable impact and was booked for a needless challenge on an opponent. Coach Hossam Hassan replaced him with youngster Omar Gaber, who also made few appearances this season. Egyptian-born Qatari winger Yasser restored Zamalek's advantage in the 25th minute after capitalizing on a recurring defensive lapse. Ahmed Ghanem was played onside by Ahli right-back Ahmed Ali, who was to blame for a series of opposing incursions, to break the offside trap and square for Yasser who had the easiest of tap-ins. Yasser's goal was a timely one as Qatar coach Bruno Metsu was present in the stands to monitor the diminutive attacking midfielder, with a view to recalling him to the national team's squad. Meteb, who usually excels in Cairo derbies, scored his second of the night three minutes before halftime to restore parity again. Barakat skipped past Ghanem on the left to jink through into the area but his shot was blocked by Al-Sayed, who couldn't prevent Meteb from notching home on the rebound. Promising Gaber Gaber, one of Zamalek's promising players, annoyed Ahli's defense with his darting runs down the right wing. He could have found the net five minutes after the restart when he broke clear of the shaky backline but had his low shot blocked by Ahli keeper Ahmed Adel. However, he made amends to contribute to Zamalek's third goal in the 79th minute. His deft through pass found Gaafar, who was under pressure from Gomaa, to send a weak shot that was poorly parried by Adel. The ball fell to Abdul-Shafi, who slotted into an empty net to give Zamalek the lead for the third time. The White fans were preparing to celebrate a long-awaited win when Barakat cut inside from the left after a breakaway and smashed the ball into the roof of the net from inside the area. Zamalek players looked shell-shocked after failing to grab their first win in 11 derbies in all competitions.
