AS-SUWAYS, Egypt (Interstat) — Substitute forwards Mounder Temine and Salah Mohsen scored second-half goals to propel El Masry SC to a 2-0 victory over El Gouna in a League Cup match Thursday at As-Suways Stadium.

The result avenged a loss from just over two weeks prior and handed El Gouna its first home defeat in this competition this season. The visiting side from Port Said executed a disciplined defensive game plan before its bench provided the decisive offensive spark.

In a physical first half characterized by midfield battles and few clear chances, neither side could establish sustained attacking pressure. The match followed a pattern similar to the teams’ previous meeting on March 10, which El Gouna won 1-0, but El Masry’s defensive resolve appeared strengthened.

The deadlock was broken in the 64th minute. Following a sustained period of possession, El Masry found an opening. Temine, who had entered the match after halftime, finished a move from close range to give the visitors a crucial lead. The goal shifted the momentum entirely and forced the home side to commit more players forward in search of an equalizer.

El Gouna’s attempts to push for a leveling goal left space at the back, which El Masry exploited in the 82nd minute to seal the victory. Another substitute, Salah Mohsen, found the net to double the advantage and effectively end the contest. The two goalscorers, introduced as tactical changes, provided the precise impact manager Ehab Galal sought.

The loss was a setback for El Gouna, which had been favored in pre-match projections. Statistical models had given the hosts a significant probability of victory and predicted a draw. Instead, El Masry’s organized performance and clinical finishing from its substitutes proved the difference.

With the win, El Masry improved its League Cup record to four wins, one loss and two draws, solidifying its position in the tournament’s standings. The team’s overall record across all competitions moved to 15 wins, seven losses and 12 draws. El Gouna’s League Cup record shifted to four wins, two losses and three draws, with its overall mark now at 10 wins, eight losses and 14 draws.

The two clubs are scheduled for a quick rematch in just four days, on Monday, March 30, completing a home-and-away series in the group stage of the League Cup. That match will be held at El Masry’s home stadium in Port Said, where the team will look to capitalize on the momentum gained from this away victory.

For El Gouna, the immediate task is to regroup and address its lack of scoring punch in this fixture after being shut out at home. The team will need to find a way to break down a confident El Masry defense in the next encounter to keep its League Cup aspirations on track.

The result continued a pattern of closely contested matches between the two sides, with the visiting team now having won the last two head-to-head meetings. Thursday’s match was administered by the League Cup organizing committee, a secondary cup competition in Egyptian football that runs parallel to the domestic league season.