Al Ahly's expected lineup vs Zed: who starts in EPL round 2?
DIRECT ANSWER: Al Ahly coach Hussein Ammouta was expected to field Mostafa Shobeir in goal with Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Amr El-Gazzar and Karim Fouad in defense for Friday's zed ahly Egyptian Premier League tie, deploying Ali Mahmoud in midfield and Sofiane Benjedida up front. Live reporting from Cairo International Stadium later showed Ahly leading ZED 1-0 after Achraf Bencharki's first-half strike.
Key Takeaways
- Ammouta aimed to keep Al Ahly's strong league start while making selective changes in defense and attack.
- Pre-match projections had Benjedida starting after his assist in the Enppi win, with Kouka possibly shifting to left-back.
- Ahram Online's confirmed XI differed, with Hadi Riyad, Kouka at left-back and Taher Mohamed in attack.
- ZED midfielder Ahmed Atef was ruled out with a muscle injury before kickoff.
- Bencharki scored in the 21st minute as Ahly held a 1-0 lead in the second half.
Who Was in Al Ahly's Expected Lineup Against ZED?
Voice of Emirates reported that Al Ahly were preparing to face ZED on Friday evening in the Egyptian Premier League's second round. Ammouta was expected to name the following starting eleven:
Goalkeeper: Mostafa Shobeir. Defense: Mohamed Hany, Yasser Ibrahim, Amr El-Gazzar, Karim Fouad. Midfield: Marwan Attia, Ahmed Nabil Kouka, Ali Mahmoud, Ahmed Sayed Zizo. Attack: Moncef Bekarar, Achraf Bencharki, Sofiane Benjedida.
The projection reflected Ammouta's preference for stability in core positions while allowing room for tactical tweaks after Al Ahly's opening victory.
What Changes Was Hussein Ammouta Planning?
Moroccan forward Sofiane Benjedida was tipped to start after playing a key role against El Sharqia Enppi, where he created Al Ahly's winning goal. His inclusion would strengthen the front line alongside Bencharki and Bekarar.
Ali Mahmoud's expected midfield berth stood out as a notable shift. That move could have prompted Ammouta to redeploy Ahmed Nabil Kouka at left-back instead of Karim Fouad, a change aimed at giving the back line greater balance.
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How Did the Actual ZED v Ahly Lineups Compare?
Ahram Online published confirmed lineups from Cairo International Stadium, where Mohamed Maarouf officiated.
Al Ahly started: Mostafa Shobeir; Mohamed Hany, Hadi Riyad, Amr El-Gazar, Ahmed Nabil Kouka; Ali Mahmoud, Marwan Attia, Ahmed Sayed Zizo; Taher Mohamed, Mounsef Bakrar, Achraf Bencharki.
ZED's lineup was: Ali Lotfi; Tarek Alaa, Mohamed Hussein, Abdallah Bakri, Mohamed Rabia; Mohamed Ezz, Ahmed El-Saghiri, Mahmoud Ouka; Mostafa Saad, Abdelrahman El-Banouby, Ahmed Adel. Ezz and Adel were substituted at halftime.
Compared with pre-match expectations, Ahly fielded Hadi Riyad over Yasser Ibrahim, Kouka at left-back as projected, and Taher Mohamed instead of Benjedida in attack.
Why Is Ahmed Atef Missing for ZED?
ZED midfielder Ahmad Atef was ruled out of the clash due to a muscle injury, according to YSscores. Journalist Dina Selim reported on the Stadium Al Mehwar program that Atef had not fully recovered physically or medically.
ZED's coaching staff excluded him from the matchday squad to avoid aggravating the injury. The cautious approach reflected concern that an early return could sideline the player for several weeks.
What Happened in the ZED v Ahly Match?
Ahram Online's live coverage showed Ahly leading ZED 1-0 in the second half at Cairo International Stadium. Achraf Bencharki opened the scoring in the 21st minute, converting one of the attacking roles Ammouta had emphasized in his pre-match planning.
Ahly midfielder Mahmoud Ali received a yellow card during the match. ZED made two halftime substitutions, bringing on Marwane Hajij and Rafaat Khalil.
The result kept Al Ahly on course after Ammouta's difficult but successful league opener against Enppi, while ZED faced the tie without a key midfield option in Atef.