Missed Chances Haunt Al Ahly as Thorup and Diaa El-Sayed Fire Back in Petrojet Draw
30 October 2025
Match Reflection: Missed Chances Cost Al Ahly
Al Ahly, under Danish coach Yis Thorup, drew 1-1 with Petrojet at the Military Academy Stadium in a Egyptian Premier League clash that exposed finishing issues and nerves in the final third.
Thorup noted after the game that the Reds produced several good chances but failed to convert, acknowledging a solid performance for long stretches but poor finishing overall.
We created numerous opportunities, particularly in the last 60 minutes of the match, but failed to convert them into goals. Taher Mohamed was deployed as a forward and Nits Gradyshar was brought into attack, yet only one goal came.
At halftime there were tactical instructions to improve the lines and press the opponent, and we pressed hard, but the chances did not translate into goals.
Disappointment was felt in the locker room as the team lost two points. Mohamed El Shenawy did his best to rally teammates and urged silence on social media for the moment.
Early in the game, Al Ahly committed several errors in the first half, and Petrojet took the lead in the 11th minute through a header by Hamad Hamdan. In the second half, Gradyshar equalized in the 61st minute to seal the 1-1 scoreline.
Diaa El-Sayed, former Al Ahly star, criticized the defense as catastrophic and warned the club cannot challenge for titles with repeated defensive errors, adding that perhaps new defenders are needed in January. He also commented on the goalkeeper’s decisive mistakes and questioned why Gradyshar did not start.
Diaa also highlighted set-piece vulnerabilities, praising Aly Diang’s performance in possession and passing.
Looking ahead, Al Ahly will face Al-Masry in Borg El Arab on Sunday, in the 13th round, and will travel to the UAE on November 3 to prepare for the Egyptian Super Cup, which will run November 6-9 with Al Ahly, Zamalek, Pyramids, and Ceramica Cleopatra.
On the medical front, Walid Salah El-Din said the medical team vaccinated the entire squad and staff against Hepatitis A as a precaution, following Imam Ashour’s infection, though he is recovering. Imam will not train until fully recovered. Some players will miss the next match: Hussein El Shahat, Mohamed Sherif and Ahmed Reda; Imam Ashour not yet ready. Ahmad Nabil Kouka and Marwan Atiya are set to return after suspension.
Punchlines: If football were a video game, finishing would be the cheat code that never loads for Al Ahly. And if defense were a fashion trend, Diaa El-Sayed would be crowned editor of “Backline Couture” for calling it catastrophic—twice a season is enough to start a collection.
