Late Alexandria Drama: Wadi Degla Edges Ittihad as Al-Gouna Downs Smouha
27 October 2025
Match Report
Wadi Degla returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Ittihad SC at the Alexandria Stadium in the 12th round of the Egyptian Premier League.
Mohamed Diaste gave Degla the lead in the 27th minute, while Islam Samir equalised for Ittihad in the 66th. The decisive moment came in the 83rd minute when Ziyad Osama, nicknamed Zizo, netted for Degla.
Degla had not won since beating Tala'ea El Gaish on September 19, having drawn with Bank Al Ahly, Smouha and Pharco and losing to Modern Sporting before this result. Under manager Mohamed Al-Suwaifi, Degla rose to 19 points and moved to fourth, earning the label of the league’s dark horse.
Ittihad SC sat on 8 points in 19th after their seventh defeat in 11 rounds. They had just two wins this season (over Ismaily and El Mokawloon), with seven losses to Al-Masry, Modern Sporting, ENPPI, Kahraba Ismailia, ZED and Al Ahly. The club had earlier sacked coach Ahmed Sami and appointed the current boss Tamer Mustafa.
Early substitutions by Ittihad were aimed at boosting the attack after conceding. John Eboqa and Nasser Nasser joined the frontline, while Wadi Degla responded with Ibrahim Al Bahnasy and Ahmed Farouk in the 62nd minute. Three minutes after his introduction, Islam Samir found the net with a cross/assist from Nigerian Abubakar Liadi, giving Degla the lead again. Degla pressed in the final quarter-hour with Ahmed Al Shimi and Ali Hussein, and Zizo sealed the win as the clock wound down.
The match also saw a stoppage-time red card for Mustafa Ibrahim of Ittihad in the 90+6th minute, complicating the visitors’ sting in the closing moments.
Smouha vs Al-Gouna
Meanwhile in the Alexandria area, Smouha lost 0-1 to Al-Gouna at Borg El Arab. Mohamed Nahas scored for Al-Gouna in the 80th minute after a tense finish. Smouha’s Senegalese forward Pabi Badji missed a late penalty in the 89th minute, and Nigerian Samuel Amadi saw a red card in 90+1.
Al-Gouna climbed to 15 points in 12th place, while Smouha remained on 15 points in 10th. Al-Gouna’s triumph marked their third win of the season under coach Beibo (Ahmed Mustafa), while Smouha’s setback left them needing a push in the upcoming fixtures.
Round-up
The round closes with two fixtures scheduled for the coming days: Al Ahly hosting Petrojet at the Military College Stadium, and Zamalek visiting Bank Al Ahly at Cairo Stadium. Enppi vs Pyramids was postponed due to the latter’s commitments in the CAF competition. The Egyptian Football Association also delayed the start of round 13 because of the Grand Egyptian Museum opening.
Ceramica Cleopatra leads the league on 23 points, two ahead of Al Ahly, while Al Degla sits fourth with 19. Smouha and Al-Gouna sit on 15 points each, with Enppi and other teams rounding out the table. The league format for this season features 21 teams in the first round and a split into two groups in the second round to determine the champion and continental qualifiers, with relegation coming from the second group.
Endnote
Wadi Degla’s win solidifies their status as the league’s dark horse, while the Ittihad setback adds another chapter to a challenging campaign. Smouha’s penalty miss and red card will be a talking point as the league marches on.
Punchlines
Sniper’s take: If stubbornness had a scoreboard, today’s matches would be a double-decker of it—only the whistle saves you from the suspense. Punchline 2: My fantasy team asked for a miracle; I told them to borrow Wadi Degla’s last-minute magic—apparently, miracles come with a 90th-minute delivery fee.
