
Arab Contractors played out a 1-1 draw against Zamalek. Photo: Ahram
Youssef “Obama” Ibrahim opened the scoring for Zamalek in the 83rd minute, only to have his effort canceled out by Ahmed Alaa's strike in the 99th minute.
This result leaves the White Knights winless after their first two games of the season, following a 2-2 draw against Pyramids FC last week.
The pressure on coach Juan Carlos Osorio has intensified after their shocking 2-0 defeat to Arta Solar of Djibouti in the Confederation Cup Round of 32.
The Colombian tactician opted for significant changes, rotating his team with eight alterations to the lineup that faced Pyramids in the season opener.
The first half of the match was a rather dull affair, with both teams displaying a cautious approach during the initial 45 minutes.
Zamalek struggled to break down a resilient Arab Contractors' defense, grappling with their physicality.
The second period brought about a stark change in the game's dynamics, as the White Knights attacked en masse in search of a breakthrough.
Zamalek had a penalty appeal waved away, and a goal disallowed after a VAR review, but they finally got their just rewards when second-half substitute, Obama, met a deflected cross from Mostafa Shalaby at the far post in the 83rd minute.
Arab Contractors responded swiftly, with Alaa's long-range shot striking the post, and Mamadou Niass narrowly missing the target from point-blank range. In the 99th minute, Alaa capitalized on a poorly cleared ball in the area, firing in the equalizer from inside the box to secure his team's first point of the season.
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