Al-Ahly beat low-ranked team Al-Raga’a on Thursday by 1-0, while Al-Zamalek overcame Haras Al-Hodood by the same score line in the quarterfinals of the Egypt Cup.
A header by Emad Metab in the 59th minute put Al-Ahly in the lead at Cairo stadium. Right-winger Ahmed Fathi wasted the chance to double the score missing a penalty 15 minutes later. Fathi left Cairo for London a day after the match for a week trial with English Premier League club Arsenal.
Al-Zamalek had a more difficult match in Alexandria against Haras Al-Hodood, the 2009 cup-winners. In the final minutes of the game substitute Mostafa Fathi scored the winner, just minutes after Haras Al-Hodood had missed a one-on-one chance.
Smouha reached the semi-finals over Ittihad El-Shorta. With the score at 2-2 after 120 minutes, a penalty shoot-out was to determine the winner. Smouha converted all five penalties, while El-Shorta missed one out of five, sealing their fate.
On Wednesday, Wadi Degla secured a place in the semi-finals beating Ismaily 4-2 in the penalty shoot-out, after the final score after extra time was 1-1.
Al-Ahly and Smouha meet in the semi-finals in a rerun of the last and decisive clash of the Egyptian Premier League last week. That match ended in 0-0, enough for Al-Ahly to win their eight consecutive league title.
Al-Zamalek face Wadi Degla in the semis, the team over which the White Knights secured their Egypt Cup win in 2013.
