CAIRO: Zamalek ended a six-match winless run on Saturday after registering a well-earned 3-1 victory over a stubborn Police Union in the Egyptian League.
Mahmoud Abdul-Razek Shikabala opened the scoring early on 11 minutes, before defender Yasser Mostafa scored the equalizer three minutes later.
Nine minutes before the interval Abdul-Halim Ali restored Zamalek s lead, and Junior Agogo put the icing on the cake on 70 minutes.
Having clinched a much-needed victory, the Cairo giants advanced to the fifth place with 21 points.
Zamalek were boosted by the return of Ghanaian striker Agogo, who served three-match suspension due to improper conduct.
Veteran hitman Ali, Zamalek all-time top scorer, also came on as a starter, after a long period on the fringes with fitness problems.
Defensive duo Mahmoud Fathallah and Hani Saied also took part in the game after returning from pilgrimage in Mecca.
Recently-reprieved trio Mohamed Aboul-Ella, Gamal Hamza and Ayman Abdul-Aziz came on as second-half substitutes.
Zamalek had to win the match at all costs, as another loss would have spelled disaster for the out-of-sorts side, who were just three points above the relegation zone ahead of the game.
The Police side was keen to hit an early opener, but couldn t pose real threat on their opponents, who have been suffering a stuttering form for almost two months.