Zamalek turned the Egyptian team to a 3-1 victory over defending champion Tunisian Esperance, who completed the match with ten players in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the African Champions League football today.
In front of thirty thousand fans at the Cairo International Stadium, Esperance pressed hard from the start, to restore consideration after losing the same result in the African Super Cup match two weeks ago in the Qatari capital Doha, and squandered three dangerous opportunities in the first minutes.
The away team translated its control by scoring the goal of progressing through Algerian Abdel Raouf Ben Ghaith in the 27th minute.
But the host quickly tied with a superb shot from Moroccan Mohamed Onajem after four minutes.
His compatriot Ashraf bin Sharqi also gave the visitors the lead in the 71st minute, and Esperance players vigorously objected to the ruling, so that Muhammad Ali Bin Ramadan would be expelled.
Bin Sharqi won a penalty in stoppage time, which was successfully executed by specialized defender Mahmoud Alaa, to reinforce the superiority of Zamalek before visiting Tunisia next Friday.