Wydad Club Athletic came from a goal down to beat Zamalek 3-1 at the Stade Mohamed V in Casablanca and cement their hold on second spot in Group D of the TotalEnergies CAF Champions League.
Ahmed Sayed ‘Zizo’ had given Zamalek a third-minute lead, but Wydad, pushed on by the brilliant home crowd, came from down to lead 2-1 at the break and added a third late on.
The victory takes them to six points after three matches, while pressure is on Zamalek who are winless in three matches.
Zamalek stunned the vociferous home crowd after three minutes when Zizo collected a pass from Achraf Bencharki, an ex-Wydad winger, and let fly with a powerful right-foot shot that nestled into the top corner of the net.
The visitors then sat back to protect their lead, allowing Wydad to mount a relentless onslaught.
After some half-chances, Wydad equalised in the 27th minute when a deflected shot ran loose to the unmarked El Moutaraji to volley home from inside the area after a poor clearance from central defender Mahmoud Alaa.
Ten minutes later, Abou-Gabal gifted Wydad a second goal when he fumbled at an innocuous corner and Farhane found an empty net with a superb overhead kick.
Reda Jaadi could have added a third on the stroke of halftime in stunning fashion, with his long-range piledriver forcing a fine save from Abou-Gabal.
El Moutaraji went close again with another shot early in the second half before Zamalek took control, although they remained toothless as Wydad easily dealt with their feeble attempts.
The hosts ensured the win when they broke on a counter attack in a move initiated by substitute Juvhel Tsoumou down the right.
Muaid Ellafi was then fed to pull the ball back from the byline, with the unmarked Jabrane making no mistake with a simple finish.
