Leaders Zamalek took another step towards a second straight Egyptian Premier League crown after producing a clinical display to crush relegation-threatened Gouna 4-1 away and go 10 points clear on top on Friday.
Winger Ahmed Zizo once again stole the show with an early penalty and a goal to give Zamalek a 2-0 half-time lead. He took his tally to 16 goals on top of the league’s scoring chart.
In-form Tunisian forward Seifeddine Jaziri made it 3-0 12 minutes into the second half and midfielder Emam Ashour put the icing on the cake with a late goal.
Ashour was then sent off after collecting a second booking for climbing up a poorly-constructed fence and celebrating with the ecstatic fans.
Islam Abdel-Naiem scored a consolation for Gouna but it will do little to allay their relegation worries as they sit fourth from bottom with 27 points, on level with Eastern Company, who occupy the last relegation spot.
Zamalek top the table with 69 points, 10 ahead of second-placed Pyramids who can trim the gap back to seven points if they beat Arab Contractors on Saturday.
With only five rounds left, Zamalek are in pole position to make it back-to-back league triumphs for the first time since 2004.
Spot-kick specialist Zizo powerfully fired home a sixth-minute penalty awarded after Gouna’s Khaled Kamar was adjudged to have kicked the heel of Jaziri as he was about to shoot from inside the area.
Jaziri was the architect of the second goal in the 38th minute, superbly controlling a long ball with his back to goal before getting the better of his challenger and chipping the ball over the advancing keeper.
A Gouna defender cleared the ball off the line but Zizo was on hand to drill into the far bottom corner from a tight angle.
Jaziri had a goal correctly disallowed for offside just before the break but he made amends on 57 minutes, side-footing home a low cross from young wing-back Sayed Abdallah in a carbon copy of Zamalek’s second goal in a 3-0 victory over Pyramids last Monday.
Ashour ensured the win with nine minutes remaining, cutting ahead of a defender to take a fine pass from substitute Mahmoud Shikabala in his stride, break clear and send a low shot home.
Abdel-Naiem prevented Zamalek from keeping a clean sheet for the sixth successive game but the White Knights still extended their winning streak to seven matches to edge closer to the title.
