Zamalek vs Enppi. Photo courtesy of Enppi.
ENPPI midfielder Ahmed El-Agouz converted from the spot in the 17th minute, while teammate Ahmed Kalusha missed another penalty 18 minutes later.
Zamalek defender Hossam Abdel-Meguid had a chance to salvage a point in stoppage time, but his last-gasp penalty struck the crossbar.
Despite the loss, Zamalek remain top of the table with 43 points, level with Pyramids FC, though their eight-match winning streak came to an end.
The White Knights entered the game aiming to move three points clear but were stunned by an early penalty after youth midfielder Mohamed El-Sayed fouled ENPPI striker Aktay Abdallah.
El-Agouz converted the spot kick, his effort slipping past the Zamalek goalkeeper despite a slight touch.
Zamalek failed to respond and conceded another penalty in the 35th minute after another foul by the out-of-form El-Sayed.
However, defender Kalusha failed to double the lead as his shot struck the crossbar.
Coach Moatamed Gamal substituted striker Oday Dabbagh for El-Sayed just before halftime, before introducing forward Adam Kaeid in place of defensive midfielder Ahmed Rabie at the start of the second half.
Three minutes after the restart, Juan Alvina squandered Zamalek’s best chance of the match when his close-range effort was blocked by an ENPPI defender.
Zamalek struggled to threaten the ENPPI defense, while the petroleum side had several chances to extend their lead but failed to capitalize due to poor finishing and a solid display from the Zamalek goalkeeper.
In the dying minutes, veteran playmaker Abdallah El-Said won a penalty, but Abdel-Meguid’s spot kick crashed against the crossbar as Zamalek missed the chance to salvage a point.
ENPPI, meanwhile, secured a place among the top seven teams in the standings, climbing to seventh with 30 points at the expense of Wadi Degla and ZED FC who have both 30 points.
Under the league’s current format, the top seven teams advance to a mini-league to determine the champion, while the remaining 14 sides enter a separate competition to decide the four relegation places.
The draw for the final phase will take place on Thursday.
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