On Friday, at the 5 July Stadium, Egypt’s dominant team Ahly was unable to score against Algeria’s Chabab De Belouizdad in the fourth round of Group D, resulting in a goalless draw.
Although the match ended in a draw, the Red Devils maintained their lead in the group standings. Despite facing challenges due to the absence of key players, the defending champions struggled to create scoring opportunities against the determined hosts, who dominated the match. Ahly goalkeeper Mostafa Shobier played a pivotal role, making several crucial saves to prevent the hosts from scoring.
In the 6th minute, Belouizdad’s right-back Houcine Benayada displayed early determination, aiming a shot at the goal, but it narrowly missed. Ahly tried to respond in the 21st minute, as winger Hussein El-Shahat received a pass from Akram Tawfik, but his shot went over the Algerian goal.
In the 28th minute, Belouizdad’s Cameroonian striker Leonel Wamba missed a great chance to score after receiving a cross from Youssef Laouafi. However, Ahly’s defender Mohamed Abdel-Moneim intervened, deflecting the ball for a corner. Ahly’s French striker Anthony Modeste also failed to make the most of a cross in the 43rd minute, leading to a goal kick.
In the second half, the hosts kept up the pressure, with defender Houcine Benayada taking a shot that Shobier managed to deflect for a corner kick. Shobier once again came to his team’s aid, stopping Wamba’s bicycle shot in the 46th minute. Belouizdad almost scored in the 50th minute, with Benayada’s free kick hitting the post defended by Shobier.
In an effort to boost the attack, Ahly coach Marcel Koller made substitutions in the 76th minute, bringing in Reda Slim, Mohamed “Afsha” Magdy, and Karim Fouad for Hussein El-Shahat, Akram Tawfik, and Taher Mohamed Taher, respectively. However, their impact on the game was minimal.
Shobier continued to impress, denying Youssef Laouafi a goal in the 82nd minute, turning his shot into a corner.
With this outcome, Ahly maintains their lead in Group D with 6 points, closely followed by Belouizdad and Young Africans, both with one point behind. Medeama currently sits at the bottom of the group with 4 points.
