Al Masry edge Al Ittihad to reach CAF Confederation Cup group stage

Al Masry SC booked their place in the CAF Confederation Cup group stage after a hard-fought 2–1 victory over Libya’s Al Ittihad in the second leg of the competition’s Round of 32 at the New Suez Stadium.

The Port Said side broke the deadlock in the 18th minute through Algerian winger Abderrahim Deghmoum, who led a swift counterattack on his own. After his initial effort was parried by the goalkeeper, Deghmoum showed great composure to retrieve the ball, skip past a defender, and fire a powerful strike into the net.

Mahmoud Hamada doubled the advantage in the 75th minute, smashing home a rebound from close range after the Al Ittihad keeper had denied Salah Mohsen’s earlier shot.

Tensions flared moments later when Mohsen was shown a straight red card in the 79th minute following an altercation with an Al Ittihad player, leaving Al Masry to finish the match with ten men.

The visitors pulled one back deep into stoppage time, as Noufel Zerhouni curled in a superb free-kick in the 97th minute. However, it proved too late for a comeback, with Al Masry advancing 2–1 on aggregate after the first leg in Benghazi had ended goalless.

With this result, Al Masry join Zamalek as Egypt’s representatives in the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup, marking another successful continental campaign for coach Nabil Kouki’s men.

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