On Monday, Palestinian striker Wessam Abou Ali scored the winning goal after 28 minutes, charging in on goal with a go-ahead pass from midfielder Emam Ashour before delicately squeezing the ball past goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Shinnawi who came out to cut the angle down.

It was Abou Ali’s 11th goal of the season even though he signed for Ahly only in January.

It was the second time Ahly, the defending champions, had put the sword to Pyramids following a thrilling 3-2 victory on 12 July.

Pyramids are trying to win their first title as opposed to Ahly’s record 43.

As of writing it does look like it will soon be 44.

After 29 games in the 34-game schedule, Pyramids have 68 points. Ahly have 66 points but after 26 games.

Should the teams win all their remaining games, Ahly would be crowned champions with a difference of seven points.

In Monday’s game Ramadan Sobhi of Pyramids came in as a substitute in the second half after being cleared of doping charges.

The Egyptian Anti-Doping Organisation (EGY-NADO) announced last week that there was insufficient evidence to prove a violation of Egyptian anti-doping rules which prohibit using or attempting to use banned substances and tampering with testing procedures.

Sobhi, 27, was provisionally suspended on 26 May after a Barcelona laboratory report indicated "atypical findings" in a doping test.

In March 2024, it was reported that Sobhi tested positive for doping after samples were taken in August 2023.

Throughout the ordeal, the Pyramids winger, a former Ahly star, had denied any wrongdoing.

The decision allowed Sobhi to rejoin his club immediately after missing the team's last seven matches in the league and Egypt’s national team camp for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Sobhi began his career with Ahly before enjoying stints with Stoke City and Huddersfield before returning to Ahly in 2019. His blockbuster move to Pyramids a year later rankled Ahly supporters who number in the tens of millions.

* A version of this article appears in print in the 25 July, 2024 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly