Nigeria’s Charity Reuben the hero as Al Ahly triumphs in historic Women’s Cairo derby

There was history in the wait for Nigeria’s Reuben Charity during the historic Women’s Cairo derby game played on Saturday, October 5, 2024.

Al Ahly secured a memorable victory in the first-ever Women’s Cairo derby, defeating their rivals Zamalek 2-1 in the opening round of the Egyptian Women’s Premier League. This landmark match took place at Zamalek’s ground in Mit Okba, marking a new chapter in Egyptian women’s football.

The fierce clash saw Nigerian striker Reuben Charity become the hero for Al Ahly, making history as the club’s first-ever goalscorer. Reuben’s two crucial goals in the 43rd and 74th minutes ensured Al Ahly’s victory and sealed her place in the history books.

Zamalek’s Sebstia Akwi also made her mark, scoring her team’s first-ever goal in the 92nd minute with a stunning free-kick, but it wasn’t enough to stop Al Ahly from taking the win. The match ended 2-1 in favor of Al Ahly.

The fiery encounter also saw Al Ahly’s Nora Khaled become the first player to receive a red card in the women’s Cairo derby after being sent off in the 90th minute.

This derby was made possible after both Al Ahly and Zamalek established women’s teams following a Confederation of African Football (CAF) directive that required clubs participating in CAF Inter-Club competitions to have a women’s team.

In other fixtures of the opening round, Wadi Degla thrashed Al-Tayran 6-1, title-holders Tutankhamun FC beat Al-Maadi 7-0, and newly-formed Pyramids FC triumphed 3-1 over Ittihad of Alexandria. Bank Al Ahly dominated Ittihad Basyon with a 5-0 victory, and Modern Sport crushed Palm Hills 7-0. Al Masry lost 2-0 to ZED FC, while ENPPI’s game against Delphi was postponed.

Al Ahly will face a tough test next when they take on Wadi Degla, while Zamalek is set to play ZED FC in their next match.