Mokawloon Breaks Their Drought as Egyptian League Buzzes with a Goalless Mahalla Draw and Bold New Rules
25 October 2025
Mokawloon Al Arab seal their first league win of the season
Al Mokawloon Al Arab secured their first Egyptian Premier League win of the season by beating Modern Sport 2-1 on Saturday night, in Round 12 at Cairo's Peace Stadium.
Modern Sport took the lead in the 50th minute with a penalty, while Mokawloon equalized in the 74th minute.
Mustafa Sobhi scored the decisive goal for Mokawloon in the 87th minute, as the match also featured a red card for Tariq Mohamed of Modern Sport in the 9th minute and a booking for Charles Ekpining of Mokawloon in the 55th minute.
With the win, Mokawloon under manager Sami Khamsan moved to 9 points, climbing to 16th place, their first league victory of the season.
Modern Sport remained on 11 points in 11th place after the result.
Earlier in the season, Mokawloon had dismissed manager Mohamed Makky due to poor results and appointed Sami Khamsan, who had previously served as an assistant at Al Ahly under coaches including Patrice Carteron, Pitso Mosimane, and Marcel Koller before leaving in April.
Modern Sport delivered a solid display but were undone by defensive lapses in the second half and missed chances as the game wore on.
Ghazi El Mahalla held to a goalless draw by Haras El Hodoud
At Haras El Hodoud Stadium, Ghazl El Mahalla earned a goalless draw with the hosts in the opening game of the round.
Haras El Hodoud played under caretaker coach Ahmed Zahran after Magdi Abdel Aty stepped down following the previous round’s defeat to Ismaily.
Ghazl El Mahalla extended their unbeaten run to nine draws in 12 matches this season, with six of those draws ending goalless.
Ghazl El Mahalla's points rose to 15 in 10th place, while Haras El Hodoud moved to 12 points in 15th, with talk of Tareq El Ashry taking over soon.
The match featured several chances for both sides, with Haras trying to refresh the lineup with substitutes Ahmed Nabil and Ahmed El Sheikh, while Mahalla defended stoutly and attempts to break through were stifled by Mahalla’s rearguard and timely substitutions.
Round 12 fixtures and the new league format
The round’s fixtures continue on Sunday with more matches, including Ceramica Cleopatra in action at home. Other games see Varco? and local derbies as the schedule unfolds across venues like Ismailia and Alexandria.
Tuesday features a key clash as Al Ahly faces Petrojet at the Military College Stadium, while Zamalek hosts an upcoming fixture at Cairo Stadium later in the week. The league also includes matches with Al Ahly, Zamalek, and Pyramids in the mix as the schedule tightens.
On Tuesday, the league will see a highly anticipated clash between a big three and other contenders as the season moves forward. The Egyptian Premier League has unveiled a new two-phase format for 2025/2026, featuring 21 teams for the first time in years after the relegation system was suspended. The first phase will be a single round-robin, after which teams are split into two groups: the top seven compete for the title and African spots, while the remaining 14 fight to avoid relegation to the second division. The league will continue to use VAR and stage games only in approved stadiums.
The season is shaping up as a tight race among Al Ahly, Zamalek, Pyramids, and the likes of Al Masry and Ismaily, with the new format promising more intensity and fewer matches per club under a tougher calendar.
Punchline time: If football formats keep flipping faster than my calendar, even my to-do list needs a referee. Second punchline: In football as in life, when the playbooks change, you just grab a coffee, adjust your position, and pretend you never panicked at kickoff.
