Junior Ajayi’s brace takes Al Ahly closer to their 40th league title
Junior Ajayi bagged a brace as Al Ahly crushed Arab Contractors 5-2 in the Egyptian Premier League on Monday.
The Red Devils got ahead two goals in the first fifteen minutes thanks to Moroccan striker Walid Azaro and Nigerian forward Ajayi.
But despite their good performance, they slipped to a couple of defensive blips allowing the visitors to make a surprise comeback through Mohamed Farouk and Ahmed Ali at the 45 and 55 minute marks.
Ajayi, 84, Eslam Mohareb, 90, and Azaro, 90+4, produced a late show to rout their rivals and edge Ahly’s closer to their 40th league title.
The opening goal came in the seventh minute when Azaro slid in at the far post to meet a low cross from South African winger Phakamani Mahlambi.
Nine minutes later Mahlambi shot from inside the box only to be denied by keeper Mohamed Aboul-Seoud, but the ball comes in the path of Ajayi who fired in the back of the net from close range.
Ahly – who largely dominated possession – could and should have scored more with a goal disallowed for Azaro and talisman Abdallah El-Said hitting the woodwork.
Arab Contractors pulled one back just seconds before the break when Mohamed Farouk was left unmarked in the area to head in a corner and revive his team’s hopes in the game.
They came back after the interval determined and got what they were looking for as Ahmed Ali scored the equaliser in the 55th minute from the penalty spot after Ajayi was adjudged to have fouled Taher Mohamed inside the area.
The Red Devils attacked en masse after the goal and coach Hossam El-Badry brought in some attacking options as record-signing Salah Mohsen and winger Walid Soliman came in.
Ahly came close from scoring on a couple of chances but El-Said’s chip ball was cleared by the defenders and Sabri Rahil’s rocketing shot was pushed away by the keeper.
They kept on pressing at the latter stages of the game, forcing Arab Contractors to make mistake after mistake to blast them aside.
In the 84th minute, Aboul-Seoud failed to punch away a powerful cross to find Ajayi who scores in the empty net.
After a fine exchange of passes Eslam Mohareb combined with El-Said to go clear in the area and slot the fourth from close range in the 90th minute.
Azaro completed the rout in the 94th minute after meeting a low cross from Ahmed Fathi to move on top of the Egyptian Premier League scorers’ list with 14 goals.
