Zamalek triumph over Ahly in dramatic Super Cup penalty shootout

By CAF Online

Zamalek clinched the 2024 TotalEnergies CAF Super Cup in a dramatic penalty shootout victory over arch-rivals Al Ahly, following a 1-1 draw outcome at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Friday night.

The ‘White Knights’ held their nerve in a tense shootout, ultimately winning 4-3 to lift their fifth Super Cup title.

The game between the two Egyptian giants began with Al Ahly looking the more dominant side, and the Africa ‘Red Devils’ took the lead in the 44th minute through Wessam Abou Ali.

The forward calmly converted a penalty, sending the ball down the centre of the goal after a VAR review confirmed a foul on Akram Tawfik by Zamalek’s Hamza Mathlouthi.

Zamalek responded with resilience. The second half saw them steadily grow into the game, and their persistence paid off in the 77th minute.

Substitute Naser Mansy, who had been on the field for just one minute, capitalised on a well-delivered cross from Omar Gaber, levelling the score with a composed finish from close range.

The remaining minutes of regular time were a flurry of action and near-misses, with both teams pushing for a winner.

Al Ahly came close in the dying moments, but Rami Rabia’s header sailed over the bar, ensuring the match would be decided by penalties.

In the shootout, Al Ahly’s Yahia Attiyat Allah missed a crucial penalty, while Wessam Abou Ali’s shot hit the post, handing the advantage to Zamalek.

The White Knights converted four of their five attempts, with Hossam Abdelmaguid sealing the victory by calmly slotting his shot into the bottom left corner.

Al Ahly are the CAF champions League winners, while their archrivals are the CAF Confederation Cup champions.