Wydad Casablanca secured a narrow 1-0 win over Zamalek in a CAF Champions League Group D match at the Cairo International Stadium on Friday evening.
The victory took the Moroccan giants to the top of Group D standings, while Egypt's Zamalek remained third on the table having failed to win a single game in the group stage.
Morocco international Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti was the busier of the two goalkeepers in the early stages of the game as he produced a double save - denying Youssef Obama and Ahmed Zizo.
The 25-year-old towering shot-stopper should have been beaten in the 18th minute, but somehow an unmarked Omar El-Said failed to keep his header on target.
The Red Castle were then able to contain Zamalek and the score was 0-0 during the half-time break in the North African Derby encounter.
The White Knights were made to rue their missed chances after the restart when Yahya Jabrane broke the deadlock three minutes into the second half.
Mahmoud Hamdy El-Wensh was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box and Jabrane beat keeper Mohamed Abou-Gabal from the spot-kick to hand Wydad a 1-0 lead.
Seifeddine Jaziri, Razak Cisse and Hazem Emam were all introduced by Zamalek's new head coach Jesualdo Ferreira as the hosts looked to level matters.
However, the Red Castle stood firm at the back and ultimately Wydad emerged 1-0 winners on the night after containing the White Knights in the dying minutes of the game.
Zamalek 0
Wydad 1 (Jabrane 48')
Zamalek: Abou-Gabal, Mathlouthi (Emam 72'), Alaa, El-Wensh, Fattouh, Ashraf, Ashour, Bencharki, Zizo (Cisse 72'), Ibrahim (Ounajem 46'), El-Said (Jaziri 56').
Wydad: Tagnaouti, El Amloud, Dari, Farhane, Allah, Jabrane, Daoudi (Rahim 90'+2), El Moutaraji (Ellafi 63'), El Hassouni (Serrhat 84'), Jaadi, Mbenza (Tsoumou 63').