Ugandan forward Joackim Ojera announced himself in style as Arab Contractors edged El Ismaily 2-1 in the Egyptian Premier League on Thursday night at Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria.
After a cagey first half that ended goalless, Ojera broke the deadlock in the 55th minute with a well-taken finish to give Arab Contractors the lead.
El Ismaily responded seven minutes later through Abdelrahman El Dah, who levelled matters to briefly restore parity.
However, Ojera was not done. The Ugandan striker struck again in the 68th minute, calmly restoring Arab Contractors’ advantage and sealing all three points with his second goal of the night.
El Ismaily’s hopes of mounting a late comeback were dealt a blow in the 80th minute when Ibrahim Al Kadi was sent off, leaving the hosts to finish the match with ten men.
The brace marked Ojera’s first goals of the season in the Egyptian Premier League, but his recent form has been encouraging.
He has now scored five goals in his last five appearances across all competitions, including another brace against Enppi in the League Cup earlier this year and a goal against Al Ahly in the same competition late last year.
Ojera completed the full 90 minutes, as did his Ugandan compatriot Joseph Ochaya, who also featured prominently in the victory.
After 15 matches, Arab Contractors sit 15th on the 21-team league table with 15 points.
They will look to build on this momentum when they host National Bank Egypt on January 30.
