Ahly booked their place in the Egyptian Super Cup final after edging Ceramica Cleopatra 2-1 in Thursday’s semi-final held in the UAE.
Ahly booked their place in the Egyptian Super Cup final after edging Ceramica Cleopatra 2-1 in Thursday’s semi-final held in the UAE.
The Cairo side began aggressively, pressing high and earning five corners inside the opening quarter of an hour as they sought an early breakthrough. Their efforts were rewarded in the 19th minute when Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan escaped his marker to meet a well-delivered cross from Ahmed ‘Zizo’ Sayed, heading powerfully into the net.
Ceramica tried to recover from the early blow but struggled to threaten Mohamed El Shenawy in Ahly’s goal, as the defending side dealt calmly with their advances. Moroccan winger Achraf Bencharki almost doubled the lead, but his attempt was stopped by goalkeeper Mohamed Bassam.
Four minutes before the interval, Ceramica drew level. Marwan Ossman capitalized on a long throw from Ahmed Belhadj, taking a precise touch before slotting the ball past El Shenawy to make it 1-1 at halftime.
Ahly quickly reasserted control after the break. Just seven minutes into the second half, Slovenian forward Njec Gradishar finished off a clever move, heading home from Bencharki’s delivery to put the Red Devils back in front.
Following the goal, Ahly shifted into a more conservative shape, allowing Ceramica to dominate possession but limiting their progress into dangerous areas. Despite their pressure, Ceramica rarely found a way through a compact Ahly defense.
The closest they came was in the 75th minute when South African attacker Fagrie Lakay fired from close range, only for El Shenawy to produce a fine reflex save to preserve his team’s advantage.
As Ceramica pressed for an equalizer, Ahly's manager turned to defensive reinforcements, introducing Ahmed Ramadan for Bencharki to reinforce the backline with an additional central defender. The change solidified their shape and helped absorb the late waves of pressure.
Despite several promising counterattacks, Ahly were unable to extend their lead. Late chances fell to substitutes Taher Mohamed, Mohamed Ben Romadhane, and Ahmed Abdel-Kader, but none managed to convert.
The final whistle confirmed Ahly’s progression to Sunday’s showdown, where they will face the winner of the other semi-final between Pyramids FC and Zamalek, with hopes of adding yet another trophy to their illustrious cabinet.
