A Rare Fifty-Year Flashback: Al Ahly Stuns Zamalek by Coming From Behind to Win the Cairo Derby in the League

Al Ahly revitalized their hopes of competing for the Egyptian Premier League title, which they have won for the past three seasons, after securing a vital and thrilling 2-1 victory over their traditional rivals Zamalek in the Cairo Derby, the ninth-round match of the competition played on Monday.

The Red Devils overcame an early deficit from a first-half penalty scored by Zamalek's Hossam Abdel Meguid. Al Ahly mounted a stunning comeback, scoring two goals within just 7 minutes in the second half through substitute Hussein El Shahat and Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet (from a penalty), an achievement that replicated a rare event not seen in the league derby for over 50 years.

The Rare Feat Repeated (1974):

The significance of this event lies in the fact that this is the first time Al Ahly has managed to come from behind to defeat Zamalek in a league derby since November 22, 1974. In that previous match, Al Ahly also won 2-1 against Zamalek, managed by the late Hungarian coach Nándor Hidegkuti.

That historic game followed a similar pattern: Zamalek took the lead first with a goal by Ghanem Sultan in the 23rd minute. However, Al Ahly dominated the second half, scoring two goals within just 6 minutes via Mostafa Abdou and Abdel Aziz Abdel Shafi (Zizo) in the 58th and 64th minutes, respectively.

That victory was a crucial step towards Al Ahly clinching their 12th Premier League title, as they finished the season at the top with 59 points, seven points clear of Tersana, while Zamalek finished fifth.

The Last Come-From-Behind Win (Zamalek in 1988):

The last time either of the two giants managed to overturn a deficit and beat the other in the league before Monday’s match was on June 24, 1988. In that encounter, Zamalek won 2-1 against Al Ahly, under the guidance of their late coach Issam Baheeg.

Al Ahly scored first through Shams Hamed in the 22nd minute. Zamalek responded with two goals from their rising stars at the time, Ahmed El Shazly and Nabil Mahmoud, in the 40th and 53rd minutes, respectively. That win secured Zamalek their sixth league title, as they topped the standings with 53 points.