Photo courtesy of Zamalek
A first-half goal from Palestinian striker Oday Dabbagh proved enough as the White Knights held firm to clinch the championship.
A point would have been enough for Zamalek to seal the title regardless of what rivals Pyramids FC and Ahly did elsewhere, but Motamed Gamal's side settled matters in emphatic fashion, ensuring there was no room for nerves as thousands of fans packed the national stadium for the final round of the championship group.
Zamalek went into the match sitting top of the standings with 53 points, two ahead of Pyramids FC and three clear of Ahly, with their destiny firmly in their own hands.
The Cairo-based side wasted no time in putting their title nerves to bed. In the eighth minute, Palestinian forward Oday Dabbagh capitalised on a defensive blunder by Saad Samir, pouncing on the loose ball to slot a clinical finish into the back of the net.
The goal sent the crowd into euphoria and immediately shifted the weight of the occasion firmly onto the visitors' shoulders.
Ceramica, to their credit, refused to simply fold. Despite going a goal down, Ali Maher's side pressed forward and carved out a threatening spell around the quarter-hour mark.
An early injury setback disrupted Ceramica's shape when Karim El Debes was forced off in the 32nd minute, replaced by Hussein El Sayed.
Despite that disruption, the visitors remained dangerous on the break, though Zamalek's defensive structure, which had conceded just 17 goals all season, held firm.
The first half ended 1-0 with two minutes of added time failing to yield any further chances of note.
VAR drama and a crucial penalty save
The second period erupted almost immediately, as Angolan winger Chico Banza had the ball in the net Just two minutes after the restart, to seemingly double Zamalek's lead, only for the VAR to intervene and overturn the goal after a painstaking review, restoring Ceramica's lifeline and sending a temporary shiver through the home faithful.
That decision proved pivotal in energizing the visitors, and Ceramica were rewarded when they were awarded a penalty in the 52nd minute, a moment that threatened to completely rewrite the evening.
Up stepped Ahmed Belhadj, only to be denied by a superb save from goalkeeper Mohamed Awad, who dived to his right to keep the spot kick out and preserve Zamalek's slender lead in the 56th minute. It was, arguably, the defining moment of the entire title race.
Saad Samir had departed at half-time to be replaced by Justice Arthur, while Ahmed Abdin made way for the experienced Sodiq Awujoola in the 84th minute as Ceramica threw everything forward in search of an equaliser.
Zamalek responded by bringing on Ahmed Rabie for El Said in the same minute, and Nasser Mansi had replaced Juan Bezerra at the 72-minute mark to add fresh legs in attack.
Ahmed Belhadji was replaced by Amr Kalawa in the 70th minute as Ceramica reshuffled in their pursuit of an equalizer, but Zamalek stood resolute, but the White Knights saw out eight minutes of added time without incident to spark scenes of jubilation inside the stadium.
The victory capped a remarkable turnaround for Zamalek, who had seen their campaign overshadowed by a heartbreaking penalty‑shootout defeat to Algerian side USM Alger in the CAF Confederation Cup final just days earlier.
But on the domestic stage, Motmed Gamal’s men held their nerve when it mattered most, securing the trophy that had eluded them for four years and reaffirming their status as one of Egypt’s footballing powerhouses.
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