(Photo by Ahmed Al-Malki)
The Egyptian Premier League resumed after a forced suspension due to the constitutional referendum, with ten games played in the fifth match day.
On Saturday, Arab Contractors thrashed Ghazl Al-Mahalla 4-0 during their match at Osman Ahmed Osman Stadium, when the Mountain Wolves beat the Farmers to claim Group A’s third place, exceeding their pre-season expectations. Following its loss, Al-Mahalla fell to eighth place.
Group A’s ninth and tenth, Dakhlia and Al-Entag Al-Harby, neither rose nor fell after drawing 2-2.
ENPPI bounced back after its defeat by Al-Ahly by defeating Al-Gouna 1-0 at PetroSport Stadium, securing fifth place with seven points, while Al-Gouna dropped to seventh.
The Red Devils continued their streak with another win, the fourth in a row, when they defeated the newly-promoted Matrouh 3-0, with goals scored by Egyptian international Ahmed Fathi, youngster Omar Gamal and El-Sayed Hamdy. Al-Ahly retained Group A’s pole position with 12 points, while Al-Raga’a stayed in 11th, or last place.
On Sunday, Group A’s second Semouha showed spectators their prowess by defeating Misr Al-Maqassa 2-1.
Group B matches were played on Sunday, and were full of derby rivalries.
In an Upper Egypt rivalry, Telephonat Beni Suef defeated Al-Minya 2-1. The Beni Suef boys are currently in sixth place while Al-Minya is in tenth.
A “law enforcement” derby between Talae’a Al-Geish and Ittihad Al-Shorta ended in a goalless draw at the Police Stadium in Abbasiya. Ittihad Al-Shorta rose to fifth while Talae’a Al-Geish remained in eighth.
A Suez city matchup saw Qena scoring a historic win over powerhouse Petrojet. Qena claimed third and is now only one spot behind Petrojet.
Zamalek drew 1-1 with Haras Al-Hedood. The White Knights took the lead when Mohamed Ibrahim landed a penalty kick but Ahmed Salem Safy drew level for Haras Al-Hedood soon after. Zamalek’s supporting group, Ultras White Knights, broke into the stadium stands shortly despite a decision by the Egyptian Football Federation (EFA) banning spectators from attending games in stadia. EFA did not take a decision regarding the break-in yet, but some predict that a win will be handed to Haras Al-Hedood as a consequence. Zamalek is currently in fourth place while their opponents lie in ninth place.
On the last game of Group B, a Monday Suez Canal matchup between Al-Masry and Ismaily saw the Dervishes win 2-0 to retain their top spot. The Port Said team remains in the last spot.
The Egyptian Premier League, as well as all tiers of Egyptian football leagues, will be suspended until 28 January to allow “players, clubs and coaches to celebrate the anniversary of the 25 January Revolution”, according to a Monday statement by the EFA.
The statement added that the decision comes to ensure that the Ministry of Interior is not busy with securing football games during the third anniversary of the 25 January Revolution.
