Bad start for Magdy Tolba as Fayoum manager: Media - Fayoum 2-1

On Thursday, 20 December, at 2.30 pm local time, the games of the 13th round of the Egyptian Second Division, Group A, kicked-off. Fayoum SC played away in the 6th of October City in the Greater Cairo area, against newly-promoted Media, the only team in the Cairo area to be part of Group A, usually including only teams from Upper Egypt.

 Fayoum SC. Source: Facebook official club page

The visitors started very well and took an early lead in the 8th minute by means of Dia Bulbul. However, the home team managed to equalize in the 30th minute by Rama Zidane and eventually scored the winning goal in the second minute of stoppage time (90+2) by Mohammed Osama, after Mohammed Zaki failed to convert a penalty for them in the 88th minute.

So Fayoum lost 2-1 dramatically in the added time despite a rather good game, which showed some of the strengths and weaknesses of the team, most likely noticed by the new head coach Magdy Tolba, who started badly but needs to redress the team quickly if they want to remain in the Second Division the next year.

It was the third consecutive defeat for Fayoum and the fifth winless game in a row. At the end of the first half of the season, Fayoum is 11th out of 14 teams and is 7 points below the relegation line.

The second half of the season will start next week on Thursday, 27 December, when Fayoum will play again away, this time at Nag Hammadi, against Aluminium. In the first round of the season, at home, Fayoum and Aluminium drew 1-1, the visitors equalizing in the final minutes of the game.

Results, table at half-season and the next round fixtures:

Round 13 (20 December 2018)

Aswan – Naser Mallawi 5-2

Beni Suef – Dayrout 2-0

Aluminium – Tahta 2-0

Sohag – Al Nasr Lel Taa’den 3-1

Al Minya – El Tahrir 2-1

Al Walideya – Telephonat 0-2

Media – Fayoum 2-1

Table at half season

1	Beni Suef	13	8	5	0	27-10	29	Promotion to Premier League
2	Aswan	13	8	5	0	25-11	29
3	Al Minya	13	7	4	2	27-19	25
4	Telephonat	13	5	6	2	18-10	21
5	Media	13	6	3	4	16-13	21
6	Al Nasr Lel Taa’den	13	4	7	2	21-16	19
7	Sohag	13	5	4	4	11-8	19
8	Aluminium	13	5	4	4	22-20	19	Relegation to the Third Division
9	Tahta	13	4	3	6	15-18	15	Relegation to the Third Division
10	Dayrout	13	4	3	6	13-20	15	Relegation to the Third Division
11	Fayoum	13	2	6	5	14-20	12	Relegation to the Third Division
12	El Tahrir	13	2	4	7	8-17	10	Relegation to the Third Division
13	Naser Mallawi	13	1	3	9	13-29	6	Relegation to the Third Division
14	Al Walideya	13	1	1	11	11-30	4	Relegation to the Third Division

Round 14 (27 December 2018)

Al Minya – Aswan

El Tahrir – Telephonat

Sohag – Dayrout

Aluminium – Fayoum

Media – Al Nasr Lel Taa’den

Al Walideya – Tahta

Beni Suef – Naser Mallawi