Ahly recorded a straightforward 2–0 success against league strugglers Ismaily in a delayed Egyptian Premier League fixture played at Borg El-Arab Stadium in Alexandria on Wednesday.
Ahly recorded a straightforward 2–0 success against league strugglers Ismaily in a delayed Egyptian Premier League fixture played at Borg El-Arab Stadium in Alexandria on Wednesday.
The Cairo giants asserted themselves early despite missing several regular starters, creating openings through Aliou Dieng, Hussein El Shahat, and Portuguese forward Ieltsin Camões, though none of the trio managed to convert.
The breakthrough arrived in the 31st minute when Tunisian midfielder Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane reacted quickest to a loose ball inside the penalty area, finishing confidently from close range to register his maiden league strike for the club.
Momentum stayed firmly with the defending champions, and their advantage was doubled shortly before halftime as defender Yassin Marei connected with Achraf Bencharki’s delivery. His volley deflected off an Ismaily player on its way past the goalkeeper, leaving the visitors with a commanding lead at the interval.
The second period offered little drama, with Ismaily unable to mount sustained pressure as Ahly’s back line remained composed and disciplined throughout.
A notable moment came in the 70th minute when Moroccan fullback Youssef Belammri was introduced for Mohamed Soukry, marking his first appearance since arriving during the January transfer window.
Head coach Jess Thorup later praised the new arrival, describing Belammri as “an intelligent player” during his post-match media briefing.
The result lifted Ahly into third place on 30 points, narrowing the gap to five behind leaders Ceramica Cleopatra, who have played one additional match. Pyramids FC sit second with 31 points after their 2–1 victory over Enppi earlier the same day, having played the same number of games as Ahly.
Ahly are set to continue their league campaign with a meeting against Gouna on 19 February.
