Captain and goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy was the hero for Ahly, saving two penalties to seal the win in a tense shootout.
The Red Devils avenged their loss to Zamalek in the African Super Cup just four weeks prior, when they were beaten on penalties by their Cairo neighbors.
However, the match was played under the cloud of controversy, as three Zamalek team members were detained in Abu Dhabi in the days leading up to the game.
Wasteful Ahly
The first half was going only in one direction; towards Zamalek’s goal but Ahly were left frustrated by missed chances and some fine goalkeeping from Zamalek's Mohamed Awaad. Hussein El Shahat had a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the eighth minute, breaking clear, only for Awaad to deny him with a brilliant save.
Just seven minutes later, Wessam Abou Ali broke into the box after beating Hamza Mathlouthi, but his tight-angled shot was again saved by Awaad. Ahly's misfortune continued as they hit the post twice, with Yahia Attiat Allah and Abou Ali both coming close from free-kicks.
Zamalek’s sole threat came late in the half, when Seifeddin Jaziri capitalized on a poorly cleared ball to score. However, his effort was overturned by VAR for offside.
Ahly remained in control in the second half but continued to waste opportunities. Emam Ashour, Taher Mohamed, and Akram Tawfik were all guilty of spurning chances to put the game to bed. Zamalek, meanwhile, nearly stole the win when Ahmed "Zizo" El Sayed broke down the left and set up Jaziri, who missed from point-blank range.
Penalty drama
Both sides were visibly fatigued and cautious during extra time, with no clear chances created. The match was ultimately decided by penalties.
El Shenawy gave Ahly the upper hand, saving a penalty from Mathlouthi. However, the shootout took a dramatic turn when Ahly's Reda Slim missed the fifth penalty, keeping Zamalek in the game. Awaad then saved Youssef Ayman's penalty, giving Zamalek a chance at victory, but El Shenawy once again proved decisive, denying Mahmoud "Shikabala" Abdel-Razek.
With Ahly leading 7-6, Omar Gaber stepped up, only to see his effort crash against the crossbar, handing Ahly the trophy and a $250,000 prize.
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