Al Ahly continued their strong start to the Egyptian Premier League after securing a difficult 1-0 victory over Smouha at Cairo International Stadium on Thursday in the third round of the competition.

The game appeared to be heading toward a goalless draw despite Al Ahly’s long spells of pressure, but Yasser Ibrahim changed everything late in the match with a powerful strike from outside the penalty area.

His goal handed Al Ahly three valuable points and maintained their perfect start to the new league campaign.

Al Ahly now have nine points from their opening three matches and sit second behind Pyramids on goal difference, while Smouha remain on one point in 18th place.

Pressure Without Goals

Al Ahly started the game looking for an early breakthrough and controlled possession for long periods of the first half.

Smouha, however, were well organized defensively and closed the spaces in front of their penalty area, making it difficult for Al Ahly to create clear chances.

The Cairo side tried to attack from wide areas and also used long-range shots in an attempt to break Smouha’s defensive shape.

Marwan Attia fired a low effort just wide in the 39th minute, while Sofiane Benjdida also tried to threaten the Smouha goal shortly afterward, only for the defense to stop his attempt.

Taher Mohamed Taher came close to scoring before halftime when his header hit the post, while Achraf Bencharki later sent another effort over the crossbar.

The first half therefore ended without goals despite Al Ahly’s pressure.

Smouha improved at the start of the second half and moved closer to Al Ahly’s defensive area, although they failed to seriously trouble goalkeeper Mostafa Shobeir.

Al Ahly quickly regained control and Zizo tested Smouha goalkeeper Ahmed Maihoub in the 58th minute.

Zizo later saw another effort blocked by the defense and turned behind for a corner.

Al Ahly then made attacking changes, introducing Moncef Bekrar and Mohamed Magdy Afsha in place of Taher Mohamed Taher and Ali Mahmoud as they searched for the winning goal.

Marwan Attia fired another effort wide, while Benjdida sent a late header over the crossbar.

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As the final stages approached, Smouha looked increasingly close to earning a valuable point from Cairo.

The Winning Rocket

Yasser Ibrahim finally broke the deadlock when Al Ahly needed a hero.

The defender won the ball from a Smouha player before moving forward and firing a powerful long-range shot beyond the goalkeeper and into the net.

The goal sparked huge celebrations and rewarded Al Ahly for their continuous pressure throughout the match.

Yasser’s contribution was not limited to the winning goal, as the defender was also named Man of the Match following his performance.

Al Ahly protected their narrow advantage until the final whistle to record a third consecutive victory and move to nine points.

The result keeps them firmly in the early title race, sitting behind leaders Pyramids only on goal difference.

Smouha, meanwhile, can take positives from their defensive performance after frustrating Al Ahly for most of the game, but Yasser Ibrahim’s late strike denied them the point they had worked hard to protect.

Al Ahly started with Mostafa Shobeir in goal, with Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Amr El Gazar and Ahmed Nabil Kouka in defense.

Marwan Attia, Ali Mahmoud and Zizo played in midfield, while Achraf Bencharki, Sofiane Benjdida and Taher Mohamed Taher led the attack.

Smouha relied on a compact defensive setup in front of goalkeeper Ahmed Maihoub, a plan that successfully limited Al Ahly for a long period but ultimately failed to secure a result.

The victory also continued Al Ahly’s strong historical record against Smouha in the Egyptian league since the Alexandria club reached the top division in the 2010-11 season.

More importantly, the result gives Al Ahly another important boost at the beginning of the campaign.

It was a game that demanded patience until the final moments, before one spectacular strike from a defender turned a frustrating night into another valuable victory.