Zamalek stumbled to a frustrating draw against Enppi on Thursday evening, throwing the Egyptian Premier League title race wide open once again.
The White Knights were held to a 1-1 result at Petrosport Stadium in Cairo, a match that saw them fail to capitalise on a golden opportunity to close the gap on league leaders Pyramids.
Zamalek started the game brightly and took a deserved lead in the 34th minute. A well-worked move ended with Ahmed Sayed “Zizo” slotting home from close range, giving the visitors a crucial advantage heading into the break.
But Enppi came out with renewed energy after half-time. The hosts pushed forward and found their equaliser in the 67th minute through a powerful strike from Mohamed Sherif, who beat the Zamalek goalkeeper with a low drive from the edge of the box.
The result leaves Zamalek on 42 points from 22 matches, still sitting second in the standings but now four points behind Pyramids, who have a game in hand. Enppi, meanwhile, moved to 31 points and climbed into mid-table safety.
Zamalek head coach Jose Gomes expressed his disappointment after the match. “We controlled the first half and should have scored a second goal,” he said in his post-match press conference. “In the second half, we lost our rhythm and paid the price. This is a setback, but the race is not over.”
The draw marks the second time in three league games that Zamalek have dropped points, raising concerns about their consistency in the title chase. With Pyramids showing no signs of slowing down, every dropped point now carries heavy weight.
Enppi manager Tarek El Ashry praised his team’s fighting spirit. “We knew Zamalek would come at us, but the players showed great character to get back into the game,” he said. “This point is important for our season.”
Zamalek will now turn their attention to their next fixture against Al Masry, a match they must win to keep the pressure on Pyramids. The title race in Egypt remains finely balanced, but the margin for error is shrinking fast for the White Knights.
