Ehab Abou-Zeid fired the hosts in front seven minutes before the interval and Sameh Adrous doubled the lead in the 53rd minute.

Amr Al-Dali pulled one back from the penalty spot four minutes past the hour mark, but his strike proved just a consolation.

Al-Gaish, who finished fourth in the league last season, are in charge of the table with 10 points. Ismaili can leapfrog them if they beat Petrojet later on Thursday.

Al-Hodoud are yet to register any win as their poor start to the season left them fourth from bottom on just one point.

Elsewhere, Masri's inconsistent displays have continued after they were handed a surprising 2-0 away defeat to newly-promoted Aluminum.

The Port Said-based club were hoping for a better start after they signed a host of players in the close season but the new recruitments are yet to prove their worth.

A brace from Cameroonian striker Essamba Paul Francois in the 23rd and 31st minutes gave Aluminum a commanding lead.

Masri's newly-signed Tunisian striker Nabil Missaoui narrowed the gap in the 40th minute from the spot but Aluminum held on to their lead to claim a precious win.

The result put Aluminum in fourth place with seven points while Masri remained 11th on four points.