Zamalek defender Omar Gaber fights for the ball during his side's 2-1 victory over Ceramica Cleopatra in the semifinal of Egypt Cup on Friday 28 March. Photo: Zamale's official X account
Midfielder Abdallah El-Said opened the scoring for the Cairo giants from the penalty spot in the 33rd minute, but Ayman Moka equalized for Ceramica Cleopatra in the 58th minute.
Second-half substitute Zizo sealed the victory for Zamalek in the final minute of the game, firing home a sensational late winner.
Zamalek booked their semifinal berth with a 4-2 win over Smouha on 15 March, while Ceramica Cleopatra advanced by defeating Gouna 3-1 the same day.
The tightly contested match saw both sides exchange attacking threats, though neither managed to carve out clear-cut chances early on.
The breakthrough came in the 28th minute when Honduran referee Saíd Martínez awarded Zamalek a penalty following a VAR review, confirming defender Mohamed Toni’s foul on El-Said inside the box.
The 39-year-old midfielder coolly converted the spot-kick, slotting a right-footed finish into the bottom-left corner.
El-Said nearly doubled Zamalek’s lead six minutes after halftime when Toni conceded another penalty for handball, but his second attempt curled wide of the left post.
Ceramica Cleopatra rallied after the break and found their equalizer two minutes before the hour mark.
Winger Ayman ‘Moka’ Mohamed met Islam Eissa’s pinpoint cross with a clinical close-range finish, steering a right-footed shot into the bottom-left corner.
As the clock ticked down, both teams pushed for a decisive goal, but it was Zizo who delivered the knockout blow.
The Egyptian international cut inside from the left flank and unleashed a thunderous right-footed strike into the bottom-left corner, sparking wild celebrations among Zamalek’s supporters.
In highly-anticipated final, scheduled for mid-April, Zamalek will face title holders Pyramids FC, who thrashed NBE Club 4-0 in the other semifinal.
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