Al Ahly claim 18th straight win, close in on title

by Staff Reporter

Saturday Aug 03, 2024. 10:00

Al Ahly racked up a record 18th successive league win when they defeated National Bank SC on Thursday night, thereby moving one step closer to the Egyptian Premier League title.

Wessam Abou Ali scored the only goal of the game as the Red Eagles moved to a points tally of 75 – five more than second-placed Pyramids FC, who have played two matches more than the Cairo heavyweights.

Al Ahly’s triumph saw them eclipse the previous record for the most consecutive wins in the league, which stood at 17 and was set by their team in 2004-05 under the guidance of legendary manager Manuel Jose.

Abdou Ali has also netted in four successive matches, cementing his position as the league’s top scorer with 15 goals since joining the club in January.

It wasn’t all plain sailing for Al Ahly, though, as they needed a later intervention from VAR to overrule an equaliser from their opponents.

“It was a difficult match, especially when they scored a goal in the last minutes before being disallowed. We could have scored three or four goals, but we are happy with the three points,” said Ahly manager Marcel Koller.

On breaking the record for the most successive wins, the tactician added, “We are very happy with this great achievement. It has been a very difficult journey. We have been playing a game every three days over the last two months but the players have been exceptional.

“This generation of players are fantastic. They fight for the club’s badge and really appreciate playing for this great club.”

Al Ahly could win the league title on Monday if they beat Arab Contractors, provided Pyramids drop points against ZED on Sunday.