Al-Ahly stands just one victory away from sealing a record-breaking 45th Egyptian Premier League crown following a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over NBE Club in the seventh round of the title-deciding phase.
The Red Devils’ stoppage-time winner kept the championship fight alive, setting up a high-stakes showdown in the final round.
Rivals Pyramids FC kept title hopes alive with a solid 2-0 victory over Petrojet, while Ceramica Cleopatra surged with a commanding 4-0 rout of Al-Masry, ensuring that the title remains up for grabs until the last whistle.
Sitting atop the table with 55 points, Al-Ahly will face Pharco FC on Wednesday, May 28, in a winner-takes-all clash for the crown.
A win will lift Al-Ahly to 58 points, securing the title outright—regardless of the result in the other decisive match between Pyramids FC and Ceramica Cleopatra. But if Al-Ahly settles for a draw and Pyramids win, both teams will be level on points — pushing goal difference to center stage as the final decider.
Al-Ahly snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory over NBE Club at Cairo International Stadium in a high-octane clash—pushing the championship race to a thrilling final-day finish.
Midfield dynamo Emam Ashour opened the scoring for the Red Devils in the 21st minute with a thunderous strike from outside the box, but NBE Club’s Togolese winger Yao Anwar stunned the home crowd with a stoppage-time equalizer at the end of the first-half.
Just when it seemed the points would be shared, Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali sealed a last-gasp winner deep into added time, sparking wild celebrations among the Al-Ahly faithful.
The win lifts Al-Ahly to 55 points, keeping them two ahead of title rivals Pyramids, while NBE Club remains fourth with 37.
Al-Ahly could have gone ahead early, but Ashour blasted over from close range in the 5th minute. Ten minutes later, midfielder Marwan Attia curled an effort narrowly wide as the Red Devils pressed hard.
The breakthrough came when Moroccan left-winger Achraf Bencharki teed up Ashour, who rifled home from distance to ignite the crowd.
After a quiet spell, NBE Club grew into the game. striker Osama Faisal threatened with a long-range effort, then Anwar leveled with a slick finish from a right-winger Sayed Abdallah “Neymar” assist right on the brink of halftime.
At halftime, Al-Ahly coach Emad El-Nahhas reshuffled his lineup, bringing on Abou Ali for Slovenian striker Nejc Gradisar to fire up the attack.
The pressure mounted, and Bencharki went close in the 48th minute, only to be denied by a sharp stop from NBE Club keeper Abdulaziz El-Balouti.
As the clock ticked down, El-Nahhas brought on fresh legs—midfielder Amr El-Soulaya and playmaker Mohamed Magdi “Afsha”—injecting a vital spark into the midfield. El-Soulaya nearly scored in the 80th minute with a thunderous strike, forcing a spectacular fingertip save from El-Balouti.
Abou Ali netted the decisive winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time, finishing a well-orchestrated Red Devils attack to secure the crucial three points and edge Al-Ahly closer to the league title.
Source: The Egyptian Gazette
