Handball: Al Ahly beats Zamalek 26-25 after two periods of overtime to secure a 9th African title

Al Ahly won the 47th African Men's Handball Club Championship by defeating their Cairo rivals Zamalek 26-25 in the final, following two periods of overtime, in a match played in Angola and reported on October 14, 2026, by Goal and Africa Soccer.

The scenario kept the arena on the edge of its seat until the very end. Zamalek led 10-9 at halftime. Al Ahly equalized in the final seconds of regulation time to force overtime (22-22), and then the two clubs remained neck and neck: 24-24 at the end of the first extra period, and 25-25 in the final minute of the second.

A goal with five seconds left

A turnover by Zamalek decided everything. On the counter-attack, Mohamed Hisham El-Basyouni, known as "Mody," scored the winning goal with five seconds remaining, according to Africa Soccer, which also highlighted the performance of Abdelrahman Hamid during the overtime periods.

Al Ahly thus retains its title for the fourth consecutive year and brings its total to nine continental trophies. Zamalek remains the most decorated club in the history of the competition with 12 titles, the last one in 2019 in Cape Verde, according to Africa Soccer.

Two Cairo clubs, one African trophy

The final was a Cairo derby from start to finish. The Egyptian Minister of Youth and Sports, Gohar Nabil, congratulated Al Ahly and praised the presence of two Egyptian clubs in the final match of the continental competition, reports the Egyptian Gazette. Zamalek, meanwhile, leaves with the regret of a trophy lost in the final second.

The tournament was held in Angola, a country that provides several of the strongholds of continental handball. For the past twenty years, the competition has been played primarily between the major Egyptian, Angolan, and Tunisian clubs, while teams from East, West, and Central Africa come to gain experience in knockout matches.

The final says something about the state of African handball: a competition where the major Egyptian and Angolan clubs set the standard, while teams from East and West Africa come to gain experience in knockout matches. Al Ahly, which won the bronze medal at the last Club World Cup, continues to carry the continent's colors on the world stage.