Egyptian giants Al Ahly saw their 16-game winning streak in the Egyptian Premier League come to an end on Wednesday after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Smouha at the Cairo International Stadium in Cairo, Egypt.
Amr Soleya’s penalty deep into added time rescued a point for the hosts who were looking to equal the record they set in 2004/2005 when they won their first 17 matches.
The defending champions dominated the game in terms of possession and attempts on goal but were thwarted by opposition goalkeeper El-Hani Soliman, who pulled off four saves during the match.
Al Ahly also had goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy to thank after he pulled off a smart double save to prevent Hossam Hassan and Mohamed Talaat early on.
Both sides ended the game with 10 men after Rami Rabia and Mohamed Koffi were sent off in the latter stages of the second half.
Guinean midfielder Youssef Diop gave Smouha a shock lead in the 69th minute with a long-range effort despite the hosts having the better of the excahnges.
Al Ahly’s night took a turn for the worse after midfielder Rabia was shown a straight red card for a handball six minutes later.
However, the hosts were handed a lifeline two minutes into added time as Koffi was shown a second yellow card for a handball and a penalty awarded by the referee.
Amr Soleya stepped up and converted the penalty to earn Al Ahly a draw and extend their unbeaten run to 17 matches.
Following the result, Al Ahly remains top of the league on 49 points, 16 points clear of second-placed Arab Contractors. Smouha climbed up to sixth on 25 points level on points with Enppi, who have an inferior goal difference.
In other league games on Wednesday, Abdallah Said scored a 75th minute penalty as Pyramids F.C. defeated Enppi 1-0 at the Petrosport Stadium in Cairo. The win sees Pyramids move up to third place on 32 points. Meanwhile, Tanta and Wadi Degla played out a 0-0 draw at the Tanta Stadium in Tanta. Tanta sits in 15th place with 16 points, one place above Wadi Degla who have 15 points.
