Al-Ahly got out of the Arab Contractors Stadium with a point, but this was not the kind of evening that leaves a heavyweight feeling satisfied. A 1-1 draw away to Al-Mokawloon only really tells part of the story. The rest was a mess of missed control, a serious injury, a disallowed goal, and a reminder that even the biggest sides can look oddly fragile when the game starts to tilt against them.
Islam Gaber put Al-Mokawloon ahead from the penalty spot in the 38th minute, and for long stretches that lead felt justified. Al-Ahly were forced to lean on moments rather than rhythm, and it took a spot-kick of their own to pull them level when Ahmed Sayed, known as Zizo, converted in the 57th minute after Achraf Bencharki had won the penalty following a violent challenge by Khaled Abdelfattah.
A match that kept turning
Before the opening goal, Amr El-Gazzar had already been required to rescue Al-Ahly from the game’s most dangerous chance in the 20th minute. That was the first warning sign that this would not be a comfortable night for the Reds, and the warning became more serious after the break.
In the 49th minute, El-Gazzar picked up a serious injury and had to leave the match. That alone changed the mood of the contest. Then, just a minute after Zizo’s equaliser, Emam Ashour made his first appearance in 112 days, returning to action after his last outing for Al-Ahly against Al-Masry at the close of the 2025/2026 Egyptian Premier League season. It was a significant moment, but not one that magically fixed Al-Ahly’s problems.
Al-Ahly had chances, but not enough control
Mohamed Beker thought he had turned the night around in the 62nd minute, only for the goal to be ruled out for offside. That was another harsh blow for Al-Ahly, but it was also a neat summary of where they were: close enough to threaten, not sharp enough to kill the match off.
Emam Ashour almost produced the late winner himself in the 88th minute, but his effort rose a few centimetres over the bar. That was the kind of near miss that keeps a game alive and keeps a manager uneasy. Al-Ahly may point to the injury, the disallowed goal and the late chance, but the uncomfortable truth is that they still did not do enough to turn possession and pressure into a fully convincing result.
So the final score stands at 1-1, and that feels about right. Al-Mokawloon earned their share of the credit, while Al-Ahly will leave with the more pressing question: how often can a team of this size keep treating control as an almost-thing rather than a certainty?
