Al-Ahly Midfielder Hussein El Shahat celebrates with his teammates after scoring his goal during the match with Ceramica Cleopatra. Photos courtesy of Al-Ahly Facebook page.
Winger Hussein El-Shahat and Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali each netted a brace, with Taher Mohamed Taher completing the five-goal onslaught.
Algerian forwards Ahmed Belhadj and Ahmed Kendouci found the net for Ceramica Cleopatra.
El-Shahat struck early, breaking the deadlock in the fourth minute after capitalizing on a defensive mistake by Cleopatra's Ahmed Ramadan, unleashing a powerful shot from outside the box to give Ahly an early advantage.
Algerian forward Ahmed Belhadj levelled for Ceramica Cleopatra from the penalty spot in the 24th minute.
Abou Ali restored Ahly's lead just before halftime with a sublime free-kick from distance.
After the interval, Abou Ali struck again with a header off a precise cross from Taher Mohamed Taher.
El-Shahat added a fourth goal in the 60th minute with another long-range effort. At the same time, Taher capitalized on an assist from Abou Ali to seal the fifth goal.
Despite Ahly's dominance, Ceramica Cleopatra squandered several opportunities in the first half, with goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shennawy thwarting their attempts.
Ahly continued to assert their control over the match in the second half, displaying their trademark style until the final whistle.
Emam Ashour narrowly missed a scoring opportunity in the 55th minute, hitting the crossbar with a powerful strike.
The 2024/2025 Egyptian Premier League season kicked off on Wednesday with a revamped format introduced by the Egyptian Pro League (EPL). The format aims to address past challenges and ensure a timely conclusion.
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