Cairo: Substitute playmaker Awuley Quay Junior scored a controversial goal in the stoppage time to give Zamalek a thrilling 2-1 victory over Petrojet in the Egyptian Premier League on Monday.
The Ghanaian midfielder tucked home on the rebound in the 90th minute after Osama Hassan s bullet cannoned off the crossbar.
Although none of Petrojet players protested the goal, the television replay proved that Junior was in an offside position when Hassan unleashed his shot.
The last-gasp goal stunned the home crowd and Petrojet, who almost secured a point after Alaa Ibrahim pinned a stinging shot home midway through the first-half to cancel out Abdul-Halim Ali s early opener.
The Men in White remained third with 36 points.
Suez-based Petrojet are in sixth spot with 27 points.
Zamalek looked on their way to a big victory as they laid siege to their opponent s area from the starting whistle and these attacking intentions paid off at once.
In the fifth minute, Mostafa Gaafar crossed on the floor to the darting Ali, who poked a left-footer home from the first touch.
Petrojet could have equalized in the 10th minute when they were awarded the penalty-kick after Hassan handled the ball inside the area.
Ibrahim stepped up to deliver the spot kick but Zamalek s international goalkeeper Abdul-Wahed Al-Sayed dived the right way to stop the ball.
Al-Sayed was called upon again after just two minutes when he stretched to his left to parry a wicked shot from Ivorian striker Zeka Goory.
But Al-Sayed failed to save the shot from Ibrahim in the 20th minute when the veteran striker latched on to a long pass on the right-hand side of the area before threading the ball into the side netting of the opposite angle.
Gaafar failed to restore the lead in the 32nd minute when he controlled Youssef Hamdi s long pass before striking against the post with the goal at his mercy.
Gamal Hamza was introduced during the interval when he was fielded for Hamdi and the international forward sparked attacking waves on the host’s goal.
But Hamza picked up a knock later in the second period and was replaced in the 85th minute by Junior whose quick reaction and flexibility earned Zamalek the three points.
Hassan sidestepped his challenger down the left flank and fired a dazzling shot from outside the area but his ball hit the crossbar and fell into the path of Junior who touched the ball into the net with the goalie stranded.
