In one of the biggest surprises in Egyptian football in recent years, Al-Ahly's first football team bid farewell to the Egyptian Cup competition from the round of 32, after suffering a shocking defeat against Telecom Egypt, a second division league club, by a score of two goals to one, in the match that brought them together on Saturday evening.
The dramatic match scenario
The match began with Al Ahly enjoying relative control, managing to finish the first half with a 1-0 lead. The goal came in the 41st minute through right-back Omar Kamal, who capitalized on a precise pass and fired a powerful shot from inside the penalty area into the net, leading everyone to believe the match was heading in its natural direction towards an easy victory for Al Ahly.
However, Telecom Egypt refused to play the victim, putting on a heroic performance in the second half. In the 81st minute, the brilliant substitute Mostafa Fawzy turned the game around with a rocket of a shot, leveling the score and forcing Al Ahly into extra time.
The excitement continued into extra time, and while both teams were searching for a decisive goal, Mustafa Fawzi returned to practice his hobby of scoring goals, scoring the second killer goal in the 110th minute with a low, creeping shot, giving his team the historic qualification ticket to the round of 16.
The impact of absences and the Africa Cup of Nations
The circumstances surrounding the match cannot be ignored, as Al Ahly played with a severe shortage of key players. A large number of their international stars were absent due to their participation in the national team camp for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. This absence clearly affected the team's cohesion and collective performance, giving the opponent opportunities to exploit the gaps.
Al Ahly's history and cup surprises
The Egyptian Cup, the oldest football competition in the country, is always a stage for surprises, where technical differences sometimes melt away in the face of the enthusiasm of lower-division clubs. Despite this bitter loss, Al Ahly remains the historical king of this competition, holding the record for the most titles with 38 wins.
On the other hand, Zamalek enters the current edition as the title holder of the previous edition, which increases the intensity of the competition this season, especially after the early exit of the traditional rival, which opens the door to new possibilities and potential champions who may appear in the upcoming rounds.
This defeat serves as a wake-up call for Al-Ahly's coaching staff to rearrange their strategy and rely on a strong second string capable of compensating for absences in critical times, while history will record this great achievement for Telecom Egypt by eliminating the African Club of the Century.
