El Mokawloon took all three points from Wadi Degla on Tuesday evening, closing out a 2-0 victory in the Premier League's fifth round. The visitors held firm against a side that dominated possession but struggled to find the net until the final moments. It was a result that shifted the momentum between two teams separated by just two points in the table.
I watched the whole match and my mind keeps returning to minute twenty, when Wadi Degla were still organising themselves. By then the visitors had already settled into their shape, pressing higher and forcing the home side into backward passes. The pattern would repeat throughout the half — possession without penetration, attacks without clarity.
The breakthrough came at the 80th minute when Idrissa Thiam found the back of the net. Two minutes later, Mostafa Gamal converted a penalty to complete the scoring. The home side had earned four corners and created two big chances, but and here's the thing — finishing remained elusive. El Mokawloon made their opportunities count when it mattered.
The statistics told a familiar story. Wadi Degla controlled 60 per cent of possession and registered 49 attacks compared to 61 for the visitors, but expected goals favoured the away side at 1.74 to 1.25. Four shots on target from each team, yet only two found the net. To be fair, El Mokawloon's 57 per cent shooting accuracy spoke to better decision-making in the final third.
The result moves El Mokawloon to seventh place on seven points, while Wadi Degla remain in 13th with five. The visitors had shown vulnerability in recent matches — losses to Al-Masri and El Geish — but this away performance suggested a side finding its rhythm. The home side's form had been inconsistent, with two draws and two defeats in their last five outings.
We had tipped Wadi Degla for victory at 44 per cent confidence before kick-off. The prediction did not materialise, and by then the visitors had already proven they could handle the pressure of playing away from home. The gap between the sides may be narrow, but tonight El Mokawloon made it feel wider.