Gabon's Evouna inspires Ahly to 3-0 Egyptian league win over Hodoud
Omar Zaazou , Tuesday 22 Dec 2015
Ahly managed to bounce back from last week's embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Smouha to beat Haras El-Hodoud with a similar scoreline at Borg El-Arab Stadium


Gabon striker Malick Evouna bagged a brace to help Ahly bounce back from two successive league defeats to beat Haras El-Hodoud 3-0 at Alexandria's Borg El-Arab Stadium on Tuesday.

Evouna opened his league account in the 28th minute and completed his personal double two minutes past the hour-mark before substitute Saleh Gomaa put the icing on the cake with a fine goal in stoppage time.

The victory was much-needed for Ahly, having been routed 3-0 at the hands of Smouha last week, after being handed a 1-0 defeat by Maqassa before the league's 40-day break.

Last season's runners-up Ahly are ninth of the league standings on 12 points, eight adrift of leaders Dakhleya who played two games more.

Evouna became the most expensive player in Egyptian football history when he joined Ahly in the summer for $2.5 million but he made a slow start due to injury problems. He was used as a late substitute in the stunning loss to Smouha.

Evouna scores, hit woodwork

Haras El-Hodoud spent the first half sitting back inside their own half, while looking to hit Ahly on the break.

Ahly, on the other hand, failed to threaten their opponents' goal despite bossing possession – with Evouna's runs in behind the Hodoud defense proving menacing on more than one occasion.

And indeed it was the Gabon striker who opened the scoring in the 28th minute when he stabbed home Walid Soliman's low cross from the right for his maiden league goal.

Evouna could have made it two just two minutes from half time, when he saw his strike hit the post before the Hodoud defense managed to clear the ball away.

Similar goal, brilliant third

The first major chance after the break came eight minutes into the second half, when Ramadan Sobhi saw his chipped effort bounce off the bar, with the woodwork denying Ahly for the second time in the match.

And it was eight minutes later when Evouna scored again in a goal very similar to the first, with the cross this time coming from the left from Sobhi.

Sobhi played a one-two with Abdallah El-Saied who released the former down the left to send a low cross for Evouna who smashed home the second.

The best goal of the night came just before the final whistle when sub Gomaa single-handedly evaded a couple of challengers through the middle before slotting past the keeper to complete the rout.

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