Zamalek midfielder Nabil 'Dunga' Emad celebrates after scoring his side's first goal in the 2-1 victory over Modern Sport in the Egypt Cup round of 16 on Friday. Photo: Zamalek's official X account
Midfielder Nabil ‘Dunga’ Emad opened the scoring for the White Knights early in the first half, but Tunisian midfielder Mootez Zaddem leveled for Modern Sport FC after the break, forcing the match into extra time.
The decisive moment came in the second period of extra time when veteran skipper Mahmoud 'Shikabala' Abdel-Razik netted the winner, sending Zamalek through.
Zamalek had advanced to this stage with a 2-0 win over second-tier side Abu Qir Fertilizers on 9 January, while Modern Sport secured their spot in the last 16 after a dominant 5-2 victory against El-Shams on 5 January.
Just five minutes into the match, star winger Ahmed ‘Zizo’ Sayed executed a well-placed direct free kick from the right side.
However, Modern Sport FC keeper Mohamed Magdi failed to clear the ball, allowing an unmarked Dunga to head it past the defense and score.
Six minutes into the second half, Tunisian midfielder Mootez Zaddem equalized for Modern Sport with a header following a corner kick taken by Ali Zazaa.
Despite both teams pushing for a winner in the second half and the first extra time period, the decisive moment came from the 39-year-old captain Shikabala, who connected with Zizo’s cross from the left just one minute into the second extra time, slotting the ball into an empty net.
Zamalek will now face Smouha in the last eight on Friday, as they aim to claim their record 29th Egypt Cup title, looking to redeem last year’s shock elimination, when they fell 5-3 to Talae El-Geish in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw.
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