Own goal gives 10-man Zamalek hard-fought win over Pharco FC in Egyptian League - Egyptian Football
In a closely contested match on the 13th matchday of the Egyptian Premier League, 10-man Zamalek secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Pharco FC on Tuesday.
The breakthrough came just before halftime when Pharco FC defender Ahmed Gamal inadvertently scored an own goal, handing Zamalek the lead in the crucial encounter.
The win keeps Zamalek in the third position, having played an additional game, and places them in contention for the league title. They are tied on points with defending champions Ahly, trailing league leaders Pyramids FC by just one point.
Pharco FC, on the other hand, remains in 8th place on the table with 18 points.
During the first half, Pharco FC and Zamalek were evenly matched until Gamal's deflection from inside the box off a long pass by winger Ahmed 'Zizo' Sayed from a free kick broke the deadlock.
In the second half, Zamalek's Swiss manager, Christian Gross, made strategic substitutions, bringing on Nasser Mansi and Mostafa Shalaby to bolster the attack.
Zamalek faced a setback when newly signed midfielder Mahmoud Gehad was shown a second yellow card and subsequently sent off just six minutes before the final whistle, forcing them to see out the match with only 10 players.
Following this important victory, Zamalek continues their resurgence after a recent 3-0 defeat to Pyramids FC. Having triumphed over Ismaily 2-0 last Friday, they keep the intense title race alive.
Next, Zamalek will take on Petrojet in the 14th matchday of the Egyptian League on Monday.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
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