Brazilian forward Savio, who joined from Bolivia's Club Bolivar in the close season, gave Ahly the lead six minutes before the break when he made the most of a dreadful blunder from Zamalek's Zakaria El Wardi to curl the ball home from the edge of the area.

Zamalek improved in the second half and wasted a couple of goal-scoring chances but Ahly ensured the win in stoppage time when substitute Karim Fouad finished off a fine team move with a simple tap-in at the far post.

Ahly denied Zamalek, who won the Egyptian league and cup double in the 2020-21 season, the chance to make it a hat-trick of domestic trophies.

They also made up for a bitter 2-1 loss to Zamalek in the Egypt Cup final last July.

Ahly extended their Super Cup record to 12 titles, six of which came at the expense of perennial Cairo rivals Zamalek.

Cagey half

Goal-scoring chances were scarce in a cagey, physical first half in which both sides struggled to get going.

Zamalek were better in terms of possession in early stages of the first half but their game-plan took a hit when key left-back Ahmed Fattouh, the man responsible of linking up with midfield duo Ahmed Zizo and Emam Ashour, was taken off after picking up an injury.

Ahly then took control as Zamalek were pegged back, firing the first warning shot on 23 minutes when winger Ahmed Abdel-Kader got the better of Hamza Mathlouthi down the left and pulled the ball back back from the byline to the lurking Taher Mohamed, whose bouncing side-footed volley went over the bar.

El Wardi's mistake then gifted Ahly an opener in the 39th minute, with Savio pouncing on the Moroccan's mis-placed pass to curl a delightful shot past poorly-positioned keeper Mohamed Awad, who was caught off guard.

Zamalek pushed forward in the second half, with the introduction of new recruit Mostafa Shalabi giving them much-needed zeal in the final third.

The team's first real chance fell to in-form winger Ahmed Zizo, who was found unmarked by a cut-back from Omar Gaber in the area, only to blast his shot over the bar.

Zizo went close again on 63 minutes when his ferocious drive struck the upright.

Zamalek coach Jesualdo Ferreira introduced veteran schemer Mahmoud Shikabala to further beef up his attack but Ahly looked composed despite retreating at times.

Ahly substitute Mohamed Sherif was denied three times by Awad as Zamalek left gaps at the back.

The Red Devils delivered the killer blow one minute into the additional time when Taher took a pass from Magdi Afsha into his stride down the left, left Ashour for dead and crossed low for Fouad to slot home at the far post.

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