Sunday, the 29th of December 2019, 14:30 local time (12:30 UTC), Alassiouty Sports Resort, Fayoum, Egypt, the 11th round of the Egyptian Second Division - Group A.
In the last round of the first half of the season, Fayoum won consistently at home against second to last classified, Dayorut. On a very windy day, the home side, managed by Mohamed Youssef, treated the game as a must-win and had most of the initiative.
In the first half, after several opportunities, Ahmed Abdel Baqi scored from close range after a good cross from the right: 1-0 (22'). The goal calmed down the Fayoum players, who started to play more based on ball possession.
In the second half, most of the thrill was gone after two goals which came one after the other, both from inside the area, one scored by Adham Hassan, who made it 2-0 in the 60', and the other by Karim El Shafei: 3-0 (65'). After a long attack and a ball which the goalkeeper was unable to catch, Amr El Fayoumi raised the score to 4-0 (80').
The home side relaxed, giving the visitors a chance to reduce the difference, first by Hamada Zidan, who sent the ball home spectacularly from a long distance free kick - 4-1 (85'), and then by Tariq Fadl, whose shot from the right side of the area found the way in: 4-2 (89').
Despite the two late goals, the general impression was that Fayoum are on the right track. Mohamed Youssef made a great job so far, the team scores lot of goals, eight of them in the last three matches, compared to just three goals in the previous eight matches. The style is slightly turning into a more offensive one, also more attracting and spectacular.
At half season, Fayoum is still below the virtual relegation line, but just one point behind the teams which are above that line. In the second half of the season, the team needs the ability to win some points away too, while maintaining strength and a must-win conception at home in order to avoid relegation. Last season, they managed the impossible in the last rounds, it is perhaps better to think in advance, properly, every game, not to leave everything for the last rounds again, in the hope of a new miracle. Teams are very similar in terms of quality, Fayoum needs to be more consistent both at home and on the road to escape relegation. The work made so far by Mohamed Youssef is encouraging in this respect.
On the other hand, Dayrout are very much behind the pack of teams fighting to avoid relegation, they really need a miracle to get out of the last places in the table, very much like Tahta, last classified.
In the upper part of the table, National Bank of Egypt finished the first half somewhat surprisingly on top of the table, one point above Beni Suef, the main favourites, and two points above Aluminium. The battle for promotion seems also promising.
Full results, table and fixtures:
Round
11 (29
December 2019)
Telephonat
– Media 1-1
Aluminium
– Sohag 2-1
National
Bank – Asyut Petroleum 2-0
Shaban
Qena – Al Minya 1-1
Fayoum
– Dayrout 4-2
Tahta
– Beni Suef 0-2
Table at half season
|
1
|
National Bank
|
11
|
7
|
3
|
1
|
14-5
|
24
|
Promotion to Premier League
|
|
2
|
Beni
Suef
|
11
|
7
|
2
|
2
|
14-4
|
23
|
|
|
3
|
Aluminium
|
11
|
7
|
1
|
3
|
14-7
|
22
|
|
|
4
|
Shaban
Qena
|
11
|
5
|
4
|
2
|
8-7
|
19
|
|
|
5
|
Telephonat
|
11
|
4
|
4
|
3
|
11-10
|
16
|
|
|
6
|
Al
Minya
|
11
|
4
|
3
|
4
|
10-9
|
15
|
|
|
7
|
Media
|
11
|
3
|
5
|
3
|
12-13
|
14
|
|
|
8
|
Asyut
Petroleum
|
11
|
4
|
2
|
5
|
12-14
|
14
|
|
|
9
|
Fayoum
|
11
|
4
|
1
|
6
|
11-12
|
13
|
Relegation to the Third Division
|
|
10
|
Sohag
|
11
|
3
|
3
|
5
|
8-9
|
12
|
Relegation to the Third Division
|
|
11
|
Dayrout
|
11
|
1
|
2
|
8
|
11-23
|
5
|
Relegation to the Third Division
|
|
12
|
Tahta
|
11
|
0
|
4
|
7
|
4-16
|
4
|
Relegation to the Third Division
|
Round 12 (January 2020)
Shaban
Qena – Beni Suef
Sohag
– Al Minya
Tahta
– Asyut Petroleum
Telephonat
– Dayrout
National
Bank – Media
Aluminium – Fayoum
