Last year’s CAF Champions League champion Al Ahly decisively defeated AFC Champions League champion Al Ain.
The Red Eagles advanced to the next round of the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, becoming the African-Asian-Pacific champions.
Key moments:
In the 32nd minute, Wessam Abou Ali took advantage of a misplaced pass from Yahia Nader to the goalkeeper, showcasing his opportunistic scoring ability and bringing the score to 1-0.
Al Ahly, who dominated the game, found their second goal in the 55th minute through a counter-attack led by Emam Ashour.
Following this goal, Al Ain failed to respond in terms of scoring, and it was Mohamed Magdy Afsha, who came on in the 90+2 minute, that sealed the match. He converted a penalty, determining the final score at 3-0.
With this victory, Al Ahly advanced to the semifinals, and if they succeed in that round, they will earn the right to face Real Madrid.
Al Ain’s head coach, legendary player Hernan Crespo, stated,
“Al Ahly played better than us. We conceded goals due to individual mistakes that simply can’t happen in these types of games. It wasn’t our night; everything we tried, they did better.”
Al Ahly midfielder Marwan Atia expressed his hopes regarding the cup:
“I hope this time we’ll reach the Intercontinental Cup final. Al Ahly can achieve anything; our players are capable of pulling it off. Al Ahly is accustomed to competing in major tournaments, and that’s who we are; that’s our character.”
