Zamalek secure thrilling win in Zayed Youth Cup final

Matt Jones - Editor 07:20 27/03/2016
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  • Champions again: Zamalek celebrate retaining their trophy.

    Zamalek finished the tournament with four wins from five matches to finish top of the table on 12 points, two points ahead of runners-up and host club, Al Wahda, while Serbia’s Partizan Belgrade were third.

    Zamalek needed to dig deep to lift the trophy on the final day though, coming from 2-0 down at half-time against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal to secure a thrilling 3-2 win.

    The Under-15 tournament was the 16th staging of an event first held in 1993, a tournament that has unearthed some of the best UAE talents, including veteran striker Ismail Matar.

    The Crescent endured a difficult tournament but put on a battling performance in the final game to take an early lead against Zamalek in Al Shahama, thanks to Turki Al-Mutairi’s brace.

    But the Egyptians hit back after the break, Ahmed Eid netting his own double to level the scores before Yusuf Abdul Nabi grabbed the winner, with Zamalek surviving the late dismissal of their striker Hossam Ashraf.

    In the final day’s other two games, Wahda claimed second place with a convincing 3-0 win against Partizan, an own goal adding to Thadt Ayed and Mohammed Arif strikes.

    Al Jazira trounced Abu Dhabi neighbours Bani Yas 3-0 in the other match, Maid Mohammed scoring two and Ahmad Fawzi getting the other while the Sky Blues’ Saif Abdullah was sent off late on.

    Jazira finished fourth, followed by Hilal in fifth and Bani Yas in sixth. Wahda’s Ahmed Ibrahim Al Hosni was named the tournament’s best player.

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