Zamalek's Midfielder Abdallah Mahmoud Said fights for the ball during the match with Al-Masry on Monday 17 June, 2024. Ahram
With this loss, Zamalek now finds themselves cemented in 11th place in the league standings with 31 points from 19 games, still with four games in hand.
Masry, on the other hand, solidified their position as runners-up in the league table, amassing 42 points after playing 25 games this season.
The turning point in the match came in the 20th minute when Tunisian striker Fakhreddine Ben Youssef capitalized on a defensive mistake from Zamalek, slotting the ball into the net to give Masry an early lead.
Winger Samir Fekri further extended Masry's advantage in the 86th minute with a powerful strike, courtesy of a brilliant assist from midfielder Mohamed El Shami inside the area.
Zamalek managed to salvage a goal during the sixth minute of injury time when substitute Yossef Ibrahim headed in an assist from Sayed Abdallah.
However, Zamalek missed several scoring opportunities throughout the game, including midfielder Ziad Kamal's powerful strike from outside the area, which was thwarted by Masry goalie Mahmoud Gad in the 32nd minute.
The match also saw Zamalek's Ahmed 'Zizo' Sayed miss a penalty kick in the 73rd minute.
VAR review indicated that the ball did not cross the goal-line, adding to Zamalek's frustrations.
The White Knights faced additional challenges as key players, including defender Ahmed Fatouh and Tunisian striker Seifeddine Jaziri, were sidelined due to injuries sustained while on international duty.
Moreover, second-captain Omar Gaber was unavailable for the game due to suspension.
Zamalek will be eager to bounce back when they host Pharco FC in the postponed game from the 12th matchday on Friday, while Masry will face Ceramica Cleopatra on Sunday.
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