Very close - Sports - Al-Ahram Weekly
Egypt's Premier League continues to be close, with just one point separating first and second place, reports Alaa Abdel-Ghani
After 11 games each, Pyramids have 24 points, Ahly 23 and Zamalek 20. Ceramica Cleopatra and Masri are in fourth and fifth place with 19 points each.
Pyramids, who have never won the league title, stayed atop the standings following a 3-0 drubbing of Zamalek on Friday 31 January. It was only Pyramids second win over Zamalek in their previous 16 league meetings, dating from 2019.
Defending champions Ahly stayed right behind Pyramids after a comfortable 3-1 win against Modern Sport FC on Sunday. Modern Sport have only seven points and are second to last in the 18-team table.
Ahly's upcoming fixture is against sixth-place Petrojet on Thursday 6 February. Pyramids are scheduled to meet Smouha, in 13th place, on Friday 7 February while Zamalek clash with Ismaili, 14th, on the same day.
During the week Ahly signed ex-Zamalek Moroccan forward Achraf Bencharki who could help them retain their league title. But they also lost stalwart Tunisian defender Ali Maaloul who will be hard to replace.
Bencharki, who signed from the Qatari club Al-Rayyan, penned a 30-month contract reportedly worth $1.3 million a season.
During his four years with Ahly's crosstown rivals Zamalek beginning in 2019, Bencharki, 30, scored 41 goals with 28 assists in 109 appearances. He helped the club win two Egyptian Premier League titles, two Egypt Cups, one Super Cup and a CAF Super Cup.
The other North African, Maaloul, left Ahly after nine years.
Since joining Ahly in the summer of 2016, Maaloul, 35, scored 51 goals and had 83 assists in 287 appearances. He had non-stop energy as he went up and down the field, stemming attacks and launching new ones.
He collected 21 titles for Ahly, including four CAF Champions League trophies, six Egyptian Premier League championships and four Egypt Cup triumphs.
Maaloul also represented Tunisia in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 6 February, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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