Ahly and Mahala (Al-Ahram)
Ahly claimed an easy 2-0 win over minnows Ghazl El-Mahalla in the Egyptian league on Sunday, thanks to goals from midfielders Abdallah El-Saied and Hossam Ghaly.
El-Saied opened the scoring from the spot in the 38th minute. Skipper Ghaly doubled the lead eight minutes from time.
The win is Ahly's second in as many games, following their narrow 1-0 victory over Talae El-Geish in the opening week, as they start a long bid to win the league after losing the title to arch-rivals Zamalek last season.
Play was mainly restricted to midfield in the opening stages until the 12th minute when Walid Soliman managed to run in behind the Mahalla defence before seeing his cross headed narrowly high by lone striker John Antwi.
The 37th minute saw a Mahalla defender handle the ball inside the area, forcing the referee to point to the spot.
El-Saied stepped up to take the penalty. Hmade no mistake from 12 yards – sending the keeper the wrong way.
Following the goal, Ahly played with less intensity against an opponent that did not look quite capable of posing threat on goal.
But on the stroke of half time, Mahalla, the away side, spurned a golden opportunity to draw level, when a through-on-goal Ramadan Rabie missed the target after beating Ahly's offside trap.
At the other end, ex-Ismaily striker Antwi also wasted a big chance to double Ahly's lead nine minutes after the break, when he saw his header blocked by keeper Mohamed Fawzi.
But it was the 88th minute when Ahly managed to make it two as Ghaly struck home from inside the area after keeper Fawzi parried Antwi's header into the captain's path.
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