Al Ahly were held to a 1–1 draw by Ceramica Cleopatra in their match on Tuesday at the Arab Contractors Stadium, in the first round of the Egyptian Premier League play-offs.
Ceramica Cleopatra took the lead through Fakhri Lakai in the 40th minute, who fired a powerful long-range shot that goalkeeper Mustafa Shubair parried, but the ball found its way into the net.
Al Ahly equalised through Yasser Ibrahim in the 82nd minute, following a corner taken by Ashraf Ben Sharqi, who flicked the ball on with his heel to the Red Devils’ defender, who fired a first-time shot into the net.
Al-Ahly moved up to 41 points, sitting third, five points behind leaders Zamalek, whilst Ceramica Cleopatra reached 39 points, in fourth place.
In stoppage time, there was significant controversy over a refereeing decision after Al Ahly claimed a penalty following a handball by a Ceramica player. Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology was called upon, and match referee Mahmoud Wafa reviewed the incident and confirmed that no penalty had been committed.
The decision sparked a wave of anger, and Al Ahly players strongly protested against the referee after the final whistle, as did football director Walid Salah El-Din.
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