ZED FC turned their first-ever appearance in African club football into a memorable night after beating ASAS Telecom of Djibouti 4-0 at Cairo Stadium on Sunday in the first leg of the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round for the 2026-27 season.

The result was more than just a big victory. It was an important moment in the history of a club making its first continental appearance and gave ZED a strong advantage before the second leg in Djibouti.

Historic Four

ZED started the match looking to take control early, and Ahmed El Soghiry became part of the club's history by scoring their first-ever goal in an African competition.

He opened the scoring in the 21st minute with an impressive long-range strike from outside the penalty area, giving ZED the lead and helping them control the game.

Ahmed Atef then doubled the advantage in the 44th minute, allowing the Egyptian side to go into halftime with a comfortable two-goal lead.

ZED continued to control possession after the break. ASAS tried to find a way back into the game but struggled to create serious danger in front of Ali Lotfi's goal.

The score remained 2-0 until the closing minutes, when Abdelrahman El Banouby scored the third goal around the 87th minute to make the result even more comfortable.

Ahmed Adel Messi completed the scoring during stoppage time, giving ZED a 4-0 victory in the first African match in the club's history.

ZED started the match with Ali Lotfi in goal, while Sameh Ibrahim, Abdallah Bakri, Mohamed Ezz and Moussa Mohamed formed the defensive line.

Ahmed El Soghiry, Wagdy Nabhan and Walid Farag played in midfield, with Mohamed Ibrahim, Ahmed Atef and Marwan Hagig leading the attack.

The night was especially important for El Soghiry, who became the scorer of ZED's first goal in continental football.

ZED earned their place in the Confederation Cup after reaching the Egyptian Cup final last season, where they finished as runners-up to Pyramids FC.

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September 6, 2026, therefore became an important date in the club's history, bringing ZED their first African match, first continental victory and first four goals in African competition.

Return Leg Next

Despite the big advantage from the first match, ZED still have another 90 minutes to complete the job.

The return leg against ASAS Telecom is scheduled to take place in Djibouti on Saturday, September 12.

ZED will travel with a four-goal advantage, putting them in a very strong position to qualify, although the team will still need to stay focused and avoid treating the tie as already finished.

The winner of the two-legged tie will face Tanzania's Azam United in the second preliminary round, which represents the round of 32 in the Confederation Cup.

ZED will now hope to turn this strong opening result into a longer run in the tournament as the club looks to make a real impact in its first African campaign.

The continental victory also comes as the team looks to build momentum after a mixed opening to the Egyptian Premier League season.

ZED began their domestic campaign with a goalless draw against Wadi Degla before losing 2-0 to Al Ahly. They then recovered by defeating Tala'ea El Gaish 1-0.

The 4-0 victory over ASAS has now given the team another important boost ahead of the next stage of both their domestic and African campaigns.

The road in the Confederation Cup remains long, but ZED could hardly have asked for a better start: four goals, a clean sheet and a major advantage before the second leg.

For ZED, their first African match was not simply a historic appearance. It was also a strong statement that the club wants its first continental experience to become much more than a short visit.