Cairo Cup Showdown Ends in 1-1 Thriller as Ittihad Alexandria and ZED Hold Ground

Match Snapshot

The derby concluded with a share of the spoils as Al Ittihad Alexandria hosted ZED, ending 1-1 in the fifth round of Group Three in the Cairo Capital Cup at the Alexandria Stadium.

Kareem El-Deeb gave the visitors the lead in the 40th minute, firing a powerful strike past ZED's goalkeeper.

Khaled Kabaqa found the equalizer for ZED right before halftime, a shot that deflected off a defender and went in.

Standings and Stakes

The draw left Al Ittihad on seven points and just behind ZED on goal difference in the tight Group Three standings.

The leading team remains the Al Masry club with ten, while Smouha sit fourth on five.

Kahraba Ismailia stays fifth on four points, a goal behind Zamalek, with Haras El Hodoud one point behind.

The group leaders, along with the runners-up, advance to the quarterfinals, along with the two best third-placed teams.

Round six, the penultimate, features Zamalek hosting ZED on Sunday, while Al Masry meet Kahraba Ismailia on Saturday, and Smouha face Haras El Hodoud. In round seven, Masry meet Zamalek, ZED play Kahraba Ismailia, and Haras El Hodoud take on Al Ittihad.

Punchline 1: If this game were a stand-up routine, the punchline would be a clean draw and a chorus of groans from the defenders.

Punchline 2: They say football is a simple game—until a draw shows up, then even the net starts negotiating for overtime.