Zamalek maintained their hopes of competing for the Egyptian Premier League title with a 2-0 victory over hosts Haras El-Hodoud on Sunday in the second round of the title group.

Zamalek moved to third place with 38 points, while Haras El-Hodoud remained ninth with 22 points.

Pyramids FC tops the group with 44 points, four points ahead of second-placed Al Ahly.

Zamalek took the lead in the 45th minute when Abdallah El-Said converted a penalty kick awarded by referee Mohamed Maarouf after consulting the video assistant referee (VAR).

Nasser Mansi doubled the lead in the 89th minute after receiving a long pass from Mostafa Shalaby, placing the ball into the left corner of El-Hodoud goalkeeper Mahmoud El-Zenfaly’s goal.

Earlier today, Senegalese striker Papa Badji scored a hat-trick to lead Al-Masry to a resounding 4-0 victory over visiting Petrojet in the same group.

Al Masry raised their score to 34 points, occupying fourth place, while Petrojet’s tally remained at 25 points, in eighth place.

Al Masry succeeded in capitalizing on a counterattack that ended with a pass from Mohamed Makhlouf behind the Petrojet defenders, allowing Badji to break free and fire a powerful shot that hit the crossbar and into the net in the second minute of first-half stoppage time.

Mido Gaber doubled Al Masry’s lead in the 66th minute with a header that found the bottom right corner of goalkeeper Omar Salah’s net.

Badji scored the third goal in the 68th minute after dribbling past the Petrojet goalkeeper and slotting the ball into the net. He completed his hat-trick in the 82nd minute, receiving a cross from substitute Abdel Rahim Dagmoum, which Badji headed into the Petrojet net.