By Victor Kanayo
Two Egyptian clubs – Zamalek and Al Ahly played out a 1-1 draw, then proceeded to penalty shootout before the former emerged winner of the 2024 CAF Super Cup
The dramatic encounter was decided on Friday night at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The White Knights as Zamalek are fondly known held their nerve in a tense shootout, ultimately winning 4-3 to lift their fifth Super Cup title.
The Action
As captured by CAF media centre, the game between the two Egyptian giants began with Al Ahly looking the more dominant side, and they took the lead in the 44th minute through Wessam Abou Ali.
The forward calmly converted a penalty, sending the ball down the center of the goal after a VAR review confirmed a foul on Akram Tawfik by Zamalek’s Hamza Mathlouthi.
Despite going behind, Zamalek responded with resilience. The second half saw them steadily grow into the game, and their persistence paid off in the 77th minute.
Substitute Naser Mansy, who had been on the field for just one minute, capitalised on a well-delivered cross from Omar Gaber, leveling the score with a composed finish from close range.
The remaining minutes of regular time were a flurry of action and near-misses, with both teams pushing for a winner.
Al Ahly came close in the dying moments, but Rami Rabia’s header sailed over the bar, ensuring the match would be decided by penalties.
In the shootout, Al Ahly’s Yahia Attiyat Allah missed a crucial penalty, and Wessam Abou Ali’s shot hit the post, handing the advantage to Zamalek.
The “White Knights” converted four of their five attempts, with Hossam Abdelmaguid sealing the victory by calmly slotting his shot into the bottom left corner.
Except the South African side which occasionally muscle a place in the continental club football high heights, the north African teams have dominated the scene for a long time at both the Champions League and Confederation Cup.
