Stubborn Gaish held defending champions Ahli to a 2-2 draw on Saturday in the last rescheduled Egyptian Premier League match, to end the Cairo giants' five-match winning streak. Mohamed Barakat put the visitors ahead on 16 minutes, and Gaish equalized when Ernest Papa Arko headed home 11 minutes from the interval. Togolese forward Dodzi Dogbe, who featured for the military side for the first time in a competitive game, struck four minutes after restart. Angolan hitman Flavio Amado canceled out Gaish's lead when he tucked Ahli's second on 57 minutes. On registering the draw, leaders Ahli went three points clear of Petrojet, who lie second with 30, while Gaish remained in 14th place with 16 points. Pulsating Clash The early minutes of the first half witnessed a cagey start from both sides, who were a little bit too cautions. But soon Ahli, who were eager to amass all three points to cement their place at the summit, initiated the attack five minutes after kick-off. Gaish replied with intensive pressure upfront on the Red Devils, whose rearguard was slightly split as a result of their attacking approach. Amer Sabri was close to heading an early opener for Farouk Gaafar's men, but Amir Abdul-Hamid easily blocked his effort. Gaish controlled ball possession for a short while, but couldn't translate their relative dominance into goals. Versatile winger Barakat opened the scoring after being deftly set up in the box by Ahmed Farag, who diverted Flavio's long free-kick towards Ahli's top scorer. The hosts' coaching staff members were seen in protest against the referee. Apparently they believe the goal should have been disallowed because Barakat was a couple of yards offside from Flavio's free-kick.
Gaafar protested against Ahli opener Upon taking the lead, Manuel Jose's men got the upper hand and intensified their attacks, while their opponents were a bit unnerved after conceding a goal. Ahli, Who kept a clean sheet in the past five consecutive games, had several opportunities from both flanks, but Gaish backline prevented them from doubling their slender lead. The home side pulled themselves together by the half hour mark, and Papa Arko headed the equalizer, connecting with a pinpoint corner-kick after eluding his marker Ahmed Al-Sayed. The match was heated during the last minutes of the first half, but no opportunities were converted. Eventful Affair The second half was an eventful affair, with both teams coming on with all guns blazing, looking for more goals. Midfielder Ahmed Fathi could have netted a second for the six-time African champions, but his free-kick went inches over the crossbar on 48 minutes. Shortly after he tried his luck again from long-range, but his drive was amazingly saved by experienced goalie Wael Khalifa. When Ahli seemed to be taking a stranglehold on the game, they were awed to see Gaish, who maintained their never-say-die attitude, notching a surprising goal. Dodzi ended a well-organized counter-attack in Amir's net after latching on to Mohsen Hendawi's low cross. However, the league leaders leveled when Flavio headed Barakat's right-wing cross home with aplomb from a very narrow angle. The match was on a searing pace during the first half hour of the second period, with both sides carving out a myriad of clear-cut chances, but the last 15 minutes were obviously less exciting. Papa Arko threatened Ahli once again, but Amir denied his low shot to keep the winning possibility opened. Farag squandered a golden opportunity when he connected with Fathi's precise low cross, but his point-blank shot missed the target by a nuance. Ahli kept on trying to score a last-gasp winner, but to no avail.
