Al Ahly secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Al Mokawloon Al Arab on Monday evening at Cairo International Stadium in the second round of the Egypt Capital Cup group stage.

Moroccan forward Achraf Ben Cherki scored the winning goal in the 93rd minute, heading home a perfect cross from Mohamed Hany to give Al Ahly three valuable points after a match filled with missed chances.

Al Ahly finally broke the deadlock in the closing moments after struggling to convert their opportunities throughout the game.

Al Mokawloon's goalkeeper, Mahmoud Abou El Saoud, delivered an impressive performance and made several important saves to keep his team in the contest.

With this victory, Al Ahly increased their total to six points and strengthened their position at the top of Group C, while Al Mokawloon remained second with three points.

Al Ahly Dominate as Abou El Saoud Shines

Al Ahly started the match looking for an early goal and controlled much of the midfield.

Meanwhile, Al Mokawloon focused on defending and launching quick counterattacks, mainly through Idrissa Thiam.

Al Ahly created their first dangerous chance in the 17th minute when Ahmed Reda fired a powerful shot from outside the penalty area.

However, goalkeeper Mahmoud Abou El Saoud made a good save to keep the score level.

At the other end, Idrissa Thiam tried to threaten Al Ahly's goal with a strong effort, but Hady Riad reacted quickly and blocked the attempt.

Al Ahly came close to opening the scoring in the 21st minute when Taher Mohamed Taher delivered an excellent pass to Mohamed Abdallah, sending him through on goal.

However, Abou El Saoud came off his line and made another important save, denying Al Ahly a clear scoring opportunity.

The pressure continued in the 33rd minute when Moroccan striker Sofiane Benjdida attempted a powerful shot, but his effort hit the outside of the net.

Just before halftime, Mohamed Hany almost gave Al Ahly the lead with a strong long-range shot in the 42nd minute.

Abou El Saoud managed to get a touch on the ball, with help from the post, preventing what looked like a certain goal.

Despite creating several good opportunities and controlling much of the first half, Al Ahly failed to score, and the teams went into the break with the match still goalless.

Ben Cherki Delivers the Winning Goal

Al Ahly began the second half with more attacking pressure as they continued searching for the opening goal.

In the 48th minute, Mahmoud Salah missed a clear chance after receiving the ball inside the penalty area following an attacking move involving Sofiane Benjdida.

Salah had a good opportunity to score but sent his shot wide of the right post.

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Six minutes later, Al Ahly were denied again when Taher Mohamed Taher struck a powerful shot that hit the post in the 54th minute.

Despite creating several chances, Al Ahly could not find a way past Al Mokawloon's defense and goalkeeper.

With the match still goalless, head coach Hussein Ammouta decided to make attacking changes to increase his team's chances of scoring.

In the 62nd minute, Ammouta introduced Achraf Ben Cherki and Mohamed Magdy Afsha in place of Mohamed Abdallah and Mahmoud Salah.

The substitutions were intended to add more experience and creativity to Al Ahly's attack.

Another change followed in the 76th minute when Ali Mahmoud replaced Ahmed Reda as Al Ahly continued pushing forward.

Ben Cherki almost made an immediate impact in the 81st minute when Taher Mohamed Taher delivered a dangerous cross into the penalty area.

However, an Al Mokawloon defender managed to clear the ball before the Moroccan forward could reach it with his head.

As the match approached its final minutes, Ammouta made two more substitutions in the 87th minute.

Monsef Bekrar and Omar Sayed Moawad entered the field, replacing Sofiane Benjdida and Taher Mohamed Taher, as Al Ahly searched for a late breakthrough.

With the match seemingly heading toward a goalless draw, Al Ahly finally found the winning goal in the third minute of stoppage time.

Mohamed Hany delivered an accurate cross into the penalty area, and Ben Cherki rose to meet the ball before sending a header past Mahmoud Abou El Saoud in the 93rd minute.

The late goal rewarded Al Ahly for their continuous attacking efforts after a difficult evening in front of goal.

It also ended Abou El Saoud's impressive resistance, as the Al Mokawloon goalkeeper had kept his team level for almost the entire match.

Ben Cherki's decisive contribution highlighted the importance of Al Ahly's substitutes, with the Moroccan forward making the difference after coming off the bench.

The victory gives Al Ahly an important boost in their Egypt Capital Cup campaign as they move to six points at the top of Group C.

Meanwhile, Al Mokawloon will look to recover in their upcoming matches after remaining on three points following the defeat.

Although Al Ahly collected all three points, their missed opportunities remain a concern for the coaching staff.

The team created several clear chances but needed until the 93rd minute to secure the victory, showing that improving their finishing will be an important priority in the coming matches.