The group stage ended entertainingly during the week, as the four representative African Clubs at the Club World Cup were at their best. We bring you all the action as Al Ahly, Mamelodi Sundowns, and ES Tunis were eliminated from the group stage, joining Wydad AC in exiting the competition.
AL AHLY SC VS FC PORTO
Egyptian Champions Al Ahly SC were eliminated from the Club World Cup following a goal fest against FC Porto at the MetLife Stadium.
Palestine Striker Wessam Abou Ali was the show’s star for the Egyptians as he redeemed himself from his howler in their previous group stage fixture against Palmeiras. Ali opened the scoring for Al Ahly on the quarter-hour mark. Egyptian midfielder Hamdy Fathy released a well-timed pass to Ali, and the striker did justice to the pass, firing the ball into the far post.
He seemingly doubled the lead for Al Ahly in the 22nd minute, but his effort was ruled out for offside. Porto didn’t take long to draw level as they found an equaliser through Rodrigo Mora’s magical effort in the 23rd minute. As it seemed the first half was heading out to a draw, Al Ahly were awarded a penalty in the closing minutes of the half after Zizo was bundled down in the box and Abou Ali stepped up. He buried the penalty emphatically into the back of the net, sending the goalkeeper the other way to restore the Red Devils’ lead going into the break.
Porto drew level again through William Gomes’s stunner five minutes into the second half, their half-time substitution bringing substantial dividends.
Al Ahly’s knight in shining armour, Abou Ali, turned up to the occasion again, banging a goal into the net for the Egyptian Club in the 51st minute. Following a well-worked team move, Ali got on the end of Mohamed Hany’s cross, rising highest to power the ball into the net. Hat-trick hero! He is the first player to score a hat-trick for Al Ahly in Club World Cup history. Way to go, Ali!
The match was end-to-end as Samu Aghehowa netted an equaliser for Porto in the 53rd minute with a header of his own. Pure entertainment! You just had to keep your eyes glued to the screen. Ali was substituted for Nejc Gradišar in the 58th minute. Tunisian Midfielder Mohamed Romdhane got in on the act too, putting the Egyptian Club ahead in the 64th minute. Receiving a pass from Achraf Bencharki, he cut in on his right foot and curled an unstoppable screamer into the top corner. The pick of The Red Giant’s goals!
As it seemed Al Ahly were heading for their first win of the competition, Pepê struck clinically for Porto at the heart of Ahly’s defence in the 89th minute. A thrilling end to the tournament for The Egyptian side.
MAMELODI SUNDOWNS VS FLUMINENSE
Mamelodi Sundowns squared off against Fluminense at the Hard Rock Stadium in a must-win tie for the South African Club’s final Group F fixture.
The South African side needed a win to qualify for the last 16, but they were unsuccessful in their quest against their Brazilian opponents. Sundowns should have grabbed the lead early on when Lucas Ribeiro Costa set Tashreeq Matthews up with a beautifully weighted pass, but Matthews was denied superbly by Fluminense’s goalie. Chances were few and far between in the opening half, with nothing to separate the two sides at the break.
Sundowns had the woodwork to thank for denying German Cano in the 57th minute of the second half. With the Brazilian side content to see out a draw, they put in a decisive defensive shift to nullify their South African opponents. It was a heartbreaking end to the tournament for the Masandanwa, who had been utterly brilliant and entertaining. They captured the attention and respect of the global audience with their mesmerising brilliance. They bow out as Africa’s best team in this intercontinental tournament.
ESPERANCE DE TUNIS VS CHELSEA FC
Fresh off their win against Los Angeles FC, Esperance De Tunis took on Chelsea FC at the Lincoln Financial Field, fully aware that they needed to defeat their English opponents to advance to the tournament’s next round.
Chelsea dominated proceedings in the first half but were inefficient in the final third. The tie remained deadlocked till Tosin Adarabioyo prodded the ball into the net with a header from Enzo Fernadez’s in first-half stoppage time
Two minutes after the opener, Liam Delap capitalised on a loose ball in the box, reacting quickly to fire the ball into the back of the net.
The Blues dominated the second half, defending resolutely to deny Esperance any hopes of a comeback. Despite making a host of substitutions, the English club frustrated the Tunisian Club
Substitute Tyrique George added a late third with practically the last kick of the match. The Tunisians were second best for the entirety of the match.
WYDAD AC VS AL-AIN
Moroccan Club Wydad Casablanca took on United Arab Emirates Club Al-Ain at the Audi Field, aiming for a strong end to their CWC journey.
Heavily intent on clinching the three points, Morocco’s Club of the Nation displayed their attacking impetus in the game’s opening minutes as South African international Cassius Mailula netted their opener in the 4th minute. Moroccan right back Mohamed Moufid teased a low cross to an unmarked Mailula in the box, and taking a touch to set it up, he hammered the ball into the back of the net. Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba thought he had equalised for Al-Ain in the 35th minute, but he was adjudged to have strayed offside and the goal was ruled out.
Al-Ain were penalized in the 43rd minute as left back Ayoub Boucheta fouled Adis Jasic in the area, and Laba was handed spotkick duties. The Togolese striker made no mistakes from the spot, burying the penalty into the net beautifully. The first goal for the UAE Club at the CWC. Both sides went into the break on level terms.
Building on the momentum of their equaliser, Alejandro Romero grabbed the lead for Al-Ain five minutes into the second half. Despite a VAR check for a foul, the goal stood. Amine Benhachem made up a flurry of substitutions as The Ferocious Beasts chased down the fixture. However, they failed to find an equaliser and slumped to a defeat. The Moroccan side finished bottom of Group G without a point, the African continent’s worst team at the tournament.
