CAIRO (Interstat) — Tala’ea El Gaish opened its Egyptian Premier League season with a 2-1 upset victory over heavily favored El Ahly on Monday at Cairo Military Academy Stadium.

Mohamed Atef gave the visiting Al Ahly an early lead in the third minute, but Tala’ea El Gaish responded before halftime. Substitute Hady Reyad leveled the match in the 21st minute. The home side completed the comeback in the 61st minute when Khaled Ramadan scored the decisive goal with a header.

The result defied pre-match projections. Statistical models had given El Ahly a nearly 66 percent chance to win and predicted a draw. The loss marks a disappointing start for El Ahly in league play, while Tala’ea El Gaish begins its campaign with a signature win.