Ahly midfielder Mohamed 'Afsha' Magdi celebrates with defender Rami Rabia after scoring his side's third goal during the 3-2 victory over Pyramids FC in the Egyptian Premier League. Photo: Ahly's official X account.
Wessam Abou Ali's brace and a late strike by Mohamed "Afsha" Magdy secured the win for the Red Devils despite goals from Fiston Mayele and Ahmed Samy for Pyramids.
The victory halted Pyramids' 14-game winning streak while extending Ahly's own run to 13 wins.
Ahly pressed from the outset, seeking an early lead to settle their nerves.
However, Pyramids FC' resolute defense held firm, forcing the visitors to rely on swift counter-attacks.
The deadlock was broken in the 17th minute by Ahly's Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali.
Hussein El-Shahat's pinpoint cross found Abou Ali, who slotted the ball into the net from close range with his right foot.
Two minutes later, Abou Ali nearly doubled the lead, but his left-footed effort sailed over the crossbar. The lead was short-lived, however, as Pyramids drew level eight minutes later.
Congolese striker Fiston Mayele capitalized on a long pass from midfielder Walid El Karti, finding himself one-on-one with Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shennawy. Mayele coolly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner with his right foot.
At the half-hour mark, Pyramids coach Krunoslav Jurčić made a tactical change, introducing Moroccan right-back Mohamed Chibi for Karim Hafez to bolster his defense.
After the equalizer, both teams traded attacks, with Ahly appearing more dangerous. However, their forwards were unable to convert their chances.
The second half saw Ahly continue their pressure in search of a second goal, though their efforts were initially thwarted, but the tide turned in the 51st minute.
Defender Ahmed Samy rose highest to meet a Mohamed Chibi corner, heading the ball past El-Shennawy into the bottom right corner.
Ahly were awarded a lifeline in the 61st minute when winger Hussein El-Shahat was fouled by defender Mohamed Hamdy inside the penalty area.
Abou Ali stepped up and confidently converted the spot-kick, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way with a right-footed strike into the bottom left corner.
With seven minutes remaining, Ahly coach Marcel Koller made a crucial substitution, introducing attacking duo Mohamed "Afsha" Magdy and Reda Slim for Emam Ashour and Taher Mohamed Taher, which proved fruitful.
Afsha secured the win for Ahly with a brilliant strike from outside the box four minutes before the final whistle.
The result narrows the gap between Ahly and Pyramids to just eight points, with four games in hand.
However, Pyramids FC retain their place at the top of the standings with 68 points from 28 matches.
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