CAIRO - Egyptian league titleholders Al-Ahly continued losing points after being held at home to a 1-1 draw by a combative El-Masri side in a pulsating Egyptian Premier League match on Tuesday night.
El-Masri, who were bolstered by a number of newcomers in the summer, put in a praiseworthy performance that could have earned them a precious win. Abdoulaye Cisse fired the visitors ahead only after ten minutes, but Mohamed Nagui 'Gedo' hit the equaliser seven minutes from the interval to break his Ahly scoring duck.
Ahly striker Mohamed Fadl made his return after a relatively lengthy layoff, but was clearly affected by the calf injury he had sustained last month.
The Red Devils piled up pressure upfront late in the game, trying to snatch a last-gasp winner, but to no avail. Ahly are now in fifth place with five points from three matches.
El-Masri lie eighth with four from as many games. The presence of controversial fan firm 'Ultras Ahlawy' was felt in the stands as they voice their incessant support for the Cairo giants.
The radical fan group boycotted Ahly's matches for a while after they clashed fiercely with security forces during a pre-season friendly. But they were back egging on the six-time African champions after the club's officials called for their return.
The match was an exciting affair, right from the word go, with both sides looking for an early goal. Ahly's first chance fell to Fadl when he latched onto a silky pass from Mohamed Abou Treika, who was instrumental in helping his team's front-men.
Fadl was in a perfect position to score but was particularly sluggish and was eventually nutmegged. Mohamed Barakat could have broken the deadlock shortly afterwards, with a close-range volley that went high over.
Despite the hosts' dominance, El-Masri were the team who took the lead. Mahmoud Abdel-Hakim, who's renowned for his dazzling dribbling skills, showed a glimpse of his capabilities when he created the opener.
The former Petrojet ace deftly bamboozled Mohamed Shawqi inside the area before sending a low cross that Burkina Faso hitman Cisse diverted home. The in-form Abdel-Hakim wreaked havoc down the left flank with his tireless running throughout the match.
His talent came in handy in the second half too; however, he was unlucky. The agile 32-year-old eluded a couple of challengers to penetrate the area, but his flashing drive was agonisingly denied by the crossbar on the hour mark.
Ahly were a bit shaken after conceding the opening goal but got their act together after a short while. Their summer signing Mohamed Naggui Gedo brought the score level and proved his worth later on. Gedo opened his Ahly account with a follow-up effort, when Fadl's powerful header hit the bar and the ground before falling in the path of the Egypt star, who slotted into an empty net from point-blank range.
Ahly stepped up the tempo in the last five minutes of the first half and remained superior after the break, with Gedo trying to set up a winner. The former Ittihad man flicked the ball to Barakat near the target but the latter's shot wastefully swerved wide.
Fadl squandered another clear-cut opportunity when Gedo sent him a low cross near the six-yard box, only to see the off-form striker miss the target by a mile. Abou Treika went one-on-one with the guardian but his low shot hit the post 12 minutes from time. Meanwhile, Al-Ittihad of Alexandria were beaten 1-0 at home in the coastal city of Alexandria on Tuesday night by el-Geish.
Dodzy scored the winner in the 67th minute. Additional reporting from FilGoal.com and Al-Messa newspaper
