Thursday, 26 November 2020

Aluminium - Fayoum 1-1 in the first round of the 2020-2021 season of the Egyptian Second Division, Group A

Thursday, the 26th of November 2020, 2.30 pm local time (12.30 pm UTC), Al Aluminium Stadium, Nag Hammadi, Egypt,  the 1st round of the Egyptian Second Division, Group A.

Fayoum SC starting line-up for the first game of the 2020-2021 season. Source: Fayoum SC Facebook page

Given the results and final table of the recently ended season, when Aluminium fought for promotion until the last round, while Fayoum was relegated and only saved by the Egyptian FA decision to cancel relegation, one would have thought that Aluminium are big favourites in this game.
However, it really seems that the new Fayoum management, especially the new manager Ahmed Bakri, and the players transferred in this short transfer window, are of good quality, and the talks about promotion are more than pure marketing. In front of Aluminium, one of the best teams in Group A of the Second Division, Fayoum SC made an excellent game.
The visitors had the control of the match in most of the first half and had several opportunities but the goal was still missing. It took almost three quarters of the game for Fayoum to score the opening goal, by means of Mahmoud Kamal: 0-1 (66'). It was only after they received a goal that Aluminium replied by attacking more, while the visitors entered a more defensive mood. The hosts eventually equalized by Murad Sabri: 1-1 (78'). In the final minutes, both teams tried to score the winning goal, to no avail.

Plenty of joy as Fayoum SC took the lead, but it did not last long. Source: Fayoum SC Facebook page

Results of the other matches in the first round:

Eastern Company - Beni Suef 2-1
Telephonat Beni Suef - Media 1-1
Sohag - Dayrout 1-0
Al Minya - Qena 2-1
Asyut Petroleum - KIMA Aswan 2-1
Shaban Qena - Asyut Cement 1-0
M.S. Samusta - Tahta 3-0

In the second round, on Wednesday, the 2nd of December, Fayoum SC will face the Eastern Company at Alassiouty Sports Resort. Although newly promoted, Cairo-based Eastern Company is considered by many as one of the contenders for promotion this season, so the match looks pretty exciting. Aluminium will play away at Media, the other Cairo-based team in this group, and this looks like an equally interesting game.

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