Port Said's Masry Nails a Sniper's Shot: A 2-1 Triumph Sends Libyan Union Packing into CAF Confederation Cup Group Stage
26 October 2025
Match Recap
Egypt's Al-Masry Port Said navigated past Libyan side Al-Ittihad in the CAF Confederation Cup Round of 32, sealing a berth in the group stage on aggregate.
Under Tunisian coach Nabil Kouki, Masry earned the right to join their compatriot Zamalek in the group stage after overcoming the Libyan club in the two-legged tie.
The Port Said club claimed a 2-1 victory in the return leg, played at the Suez Stadium, following a 0-0 draw in Tripoli in the first leg.
Algerian Abdel Rahim Dughmoum opened the scoring for Masry in the 19th minute, and Mahmoud Hamada added the second in the 76th minute.
In the 80th minute, Salah Mohsen was sent off for a heated confrontation, while Nofal Zerhouni scored a late goal for the Libyans in stoppage time (90+7).
Masry progressed thanks to their 2-1 aggregate win after the goalless first leg in Tripoli, advancing to the group stage.
Hard-Fought Victory
The match was not easy; the Libyan side pressed early, especially on the wings, testing the Masry defense.
Dughmoum's opener came after a rapid counter from the Libyans, a break that started on the left and ended with a sharp finish in the penalty area.
The second Masry goal came from a Hassan Ali cross on the right; Salah Mohsen failed to convert the cross, but Mahmoud Hamada followed up to poke the ball home.
Salah Mohsen's red card followed a heated moment between players, heightening the drama as Masry played with ten men.
The Libyan side pulled a late consolation through Nofal Zerhouni in the 97th minute, but Masry held on to advance to the group stage.
Masry’s progress to the group stage was sealed by their earlier away-goal/aggregate advantage, marking a successful campaign for coach Kouki.
The CAF Confederation Cup group-stage draw is scheduled for Monday, November 3 in South Africa, with 16 teams split into four pots based on continental rankings.
Favorites like Zamalek, Wydad, USM Alger and Masry are expected to be among the seeds, though CAF can still seed teams from the same country in the same group, opening room for potential cross-border clashes in the groups.
The draw will determine four groups and the top two from each group will advance to the knockout stages, setting the stage for what promises to be an entertaining group phase.
And yes, Masry’s success will have fans dreaming of a deep run—because in football, as in life, if you can’t outrun your opponents, at least outplay their defense. Sniper vibe incoming: the goal was so precise it could have been drawn with a ruler. Second shot: sometimes the best strategy is not to shoot the moon, but to shoot the net—and Masry shot it twice.
