Al-Morsi, who spent an unsuccessful short-term spell at Zamalek a few years ago, scored two quick goals in the final 11 minutes to give his side a vital victory.

Zamalek remain comfortably in charge of the Egyptian Premier League Group B while Ittihad are still second from bottom with 13 points from as many games.

Unlucky Hassan…lucky Morsi

Against the run of play, Ittihad thought they had snatched an early goal but Ahmed Abdullah’s close-range strike was ruled out for an offside.

Zamalek expectedly dominated play and veteran Ahmed Hassan was unlucky to see his curling freekick hit the left post.

The world’s most capped footballer came close again after the break but this time his header was denied by the bar.

The missed chances proved crucial for the Whites as Al-Morsi grabbed a shock winner from close-range by smashing a loose ball into the roof of the net.

Only two minutes later, the Ittihad striker pounced on a horrendous error by Mahmoud Fathallah to slot home the second and put the game to bed.