Zamalek's Hamody (Al-Ahram)
An off-form Zamalek side dropped two more points in the Egyptian Premier League race after being held to a 1-1 draw by defensive-minded Petrojet at Suez Stadium on Monday.
Ahmed Gaafar gave Petrojet a first-half lead upon scoring an amazing goal in the 37th minute, before midfielder Maarouf Yussuf netted the equaliser for the visitors seven minutes after the break.
The absence of Zamalek's top scorer Mahmoud 'Kahraba' Abdel-Moneam, who missed the game due to automatic suspension, clearly took a toll on the Whites as the defending champions struggled upfront.
On the other hand, Petrojet's fine run continued under the guidance of new coach Talaat Youssef, who took over following the sacking of his predecessor Ahmed Hassan due to poor results.
Youssef guided Petrojet to claim seven points from two successive wins and Monday's draw.
Zamalek remain fourth in the league table with 17 points, five behind leaders Maqassa who played three more games.
After a slow start to the game, Zamalek carved out the first scoring opportunity in the 15th minutes when Yussuf latched onto a neat pass from Ahmed Hamoudi, only to see his close-range shot blocked by the keeper.
Zamalek's sole striker Mohamed Salem also tried his luck in vain several time during the first half.
Despite having the upper hand in terms of possession Zamalek were stunned when their former striker Gaafar broke the deadlock with an unstoppable curling shot from outside the area.
Five minutes later, Gaafar came close to adding his second goal with a close-range header that was denied by the post.
Zamalek's lively winger Ahmed Hamoudi wasted a golden opportunity to bring the scores level just before the interval with an effort from inside the area that was blocked by the guardian.
The Cairo giants started the second half in style as their domination soon paid off when Yussuf hit the net with a powerful shot from inside the area.
The White Knights intensified their attack later on, with coach Marcos Paqueta introducing striker Bassem Morsi, pacey winger Moustafa Fathi and midfielder Ibrahim Abdel-Khaleq to increase firepower.
However, the influential trio barely made their presence felt.
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