Two goals from Hamdi Fathi and Walid Azaro gave Ahly a 2-1 win over Makasa in the Egyptian Premier League on Wednesday, three days before they try to overturn a 5-0 deficit in the African Champions League

January recruit Fathi netted his second goal for Ahly to give them a 1-0 first-half lead before Moroccan striker Walid Azaro scored for the first time in three months to put the result beyond doubt with eight minutes remaining.

Makasa’s Ghanaian striker John Antwi, an ex-Ahly frontman, was on target in stoppage time but it was too little, too late as the referee blew his final whistle immediately after kick-off.

Although Ahly labored for much of the game, they will still be content to secure a morale-boosting win following their humiliation at the hands of South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final last Saturday.

Their win over Makasa lifted them to the summit with 58 points, one ahead of main challengers and Cairo nemesis Zamalek who can restore their two-point cushion on top if they beat Masry on Thursday.