The reigning champions, Ahly, commenced their league season in sensational style, dismantling a Masry team reduced to ten men with a resounding 4-0 victory at Alexandria’s Borg El Arab Stadium on Tuesday.
Moroccan winger Reda Slim, who joined the Red Devils during the summer, broke the deadlock with his first-ever goal just a minute before halftime.
Meanwhile, South African counterpart Percy Tau left a significant imprint on the game, scoring twice. Substitute fullback Karim Fouad, making a comeback after a lengthy absence due to knee surgery, sealed the comprehensive victory to complete the rout.
The initial half of the game lacked excitement, as Masry held a slight edge in possession without creating any significant threats.
Ahly’s recent acquisition, Anthony Modeste, had an opportunity to open his scoring tally for the club but couldn’t maintain control of the ball from close quarters.
In the first half, Reda Slim emerged as Ahly’s standout player, displaying individual skills that led to yellow cards for Masry defenders Djoulde Bah and Baher El-Mohamadi.
Slim propelled Ahly into the lead with a precisely placed shot from inside the box, capitalizing on a poor clearance by Masry goalkeeper Mahmoud Gad.
Masry faced even greater challenges when defender Baher El-Mohamadi received his second yellow card and was subsequently sent off just seven minutes into the second half due to a reckless tackle on Emam Ashour.
Five minutes later, Anthony Modeste missed another opportunity, with his close-range attempt blocked by the Masry goalkeeper, and defender Amr Moussa cleared the ball off the goal line.
South African winger Percy Tau continued Ahly’s domination by scoring two goals in the 69th and 75th minutes, respectively.
Karim Fouad added the finishing touch, securing a goal just two minutes before the end of the match.
