Second-half substitute Kabongo Kasongo scored as Zamalek earned a 1-0 victory over Assiouty Sport in gameweek 16 of the Egyptian Premier League on Saturday.
The first half started off with high pressure from both sides, with the first chance coming seven minutes after the kick-off. Zamalek’s Mohamed El-Shamy squared the ball to Mohamed Youssef Obama, however, the latter’s shot went straight to the keeper.
Three minutes prior to the halftime whistle, Benjamin Acheampong wasted a glorious chance to give the White Knights the lead when he went through on goal after finding Obama’s pass, but his finish was poor.
Despite Zamalek’s dominance, the hosts had a chance to open the scoring just few seconds before the break. Omar Bassam beat Zamalek keeper Ahmed El-Shennawy, but Mahmoud Hamdi El-Wensh produced a goal-line save to keep the game goalless.
Two minutes after the restart, Tarek Hamed sent a powerful shot from outside the area but it went few inches above the crossbar.
Zamalek coach Nebojša Jovović brought on Kabongo Kasongo instead of Obama just after the one-hour mark in an attempt to strengthen the offense.
Less than 15 minutes after coming on, the Congolese striker scored the opener from a tap-in after being on the receiving end of El-Shamy’s ground cross.
One minute after the goal, Sherif Dabo of Assiouty responded with a volley but his shot hit the crossbar. The hosts continued to pile pressure on Zamalek for the remaining of the second half, but the White Knights managed to defend their lead until the referee blew the final whistle.
The Cairo giants now have 28 points and remain in fourth place of the Egyptian Premier League table. They are scheduled to face Tala’a El-Geish on January 3, before playing the Cairo Derby on January 7.
