Shikabala strike downs Masry as Zamalek continue fine run

A second-half goal from dazzling winger Mahmoud Abdel-Razek ‘Shikabala’ settled a dour affair into Zamalek’s favour after they beat Masry 2-1 at an empty Military Academy Stadium in Friday’s Egyptian Premier League game. Zamalek took the lead just before the half-hour mark, thanks to a goal from central midfielder Ahmed Tawfik. Masry equalized five minutes before the break when a defensive lapse allowed Malian striker Abdoulaye Cisse to beat keeper Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed following a one-on-one. Goal-hungry Shikabala, whose primary role prior to the match was creating goals for his teammates with his catchy tricks and precise deep passes, finally found the net with 16 minutes remaining to rescue Zamalek following a fine individual effort. Zamalek’s third consecutive victory lifted them to the fourth spot in the 19-team league table with 19 points, six behind surprise leaders Harras El-Hodoud who played two games more. Masry are eighth on 13 points. The match was played behind closed doors due to a sanction the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) imposed on Zamalek for the excessive use of fireworks by their fans in the stands. Masry had the better of the early exchanges as Zamalek, who were lucky not to concede a penalty for a handball on defender Hani Saied, struggled for creativity upfront. Shikabala was Zamalek’s liveliest performer but he rarely found support from sluggish attacking duo Hussein Hamdy and Ahmed Gaafar. Masry’s first real attempt fell to Mahmoud Abdel-Hakim after 28 minutes when the attacking midfielder skipped past Saied on the edge of the area but shot wide. Zamalek opened the scoring against the run of play one minute later when Shikabala made a surging run down the left before whipping in a cross that Masry defender Karim Zakri poorly cleared, giving Tawfik the chance to fire a low shot into the bottom corner. The hosts remained short on ideas despite taking the lead, allowing Masry to pile on pressure that resulted in a 40th-minute equalizer. Zamalek’s defensive duo Saied and Salah Soliman were caught napping as Cisse played a neat one-two with Abdel-Hakim to go clear and clip the ball over keeper Abdel-Wahed El-Sayed for his fifth goal of the season. The introduction of veteran midfielder Ahmed Hassan and newly-signed striker Razak Omotoyossi made the difference after the break as Zamalek took control. The substitutions paid off in the 74th minute when Omotoyossi fed Shikabala, who burst into the area before sending a low shot into the far corner from a tight angle. ahramonline .