End of the line - Sports - Al-Ahram Weekly
Ahly served up a breathtaking 4-4 draw against Porto but both were still ousted from the Club World Cup.
You would think that any team that scores four goals in one match should win.
Not in this match.
You would also think that any team that led four times in a match would win.
Not in this match.
In the third and final group stage game in the Club World Cup being played in the US, Ahly of Egypt and Porto of Portugal played one for the ages, resulting in a thrilling 4-4 tie. But the excitement was all for naught, as on the other hand, Inter Miami of the US and Palmeiras of Brazil fought their own 2-2 draw in the same group and at the same time, which was enough for both latter teams to advance to the knockout stage. Ahly and Porto were sent home but heads were held high after their fascinating encounter.
Most Egyptians missed the live action as the two games were played at 4am Cairo time.
If you missed it, Ahly and Porto played one of the most entertaining games in the tournament. Ahly had leads of 1-0, 2-1, 3-2 and 4-3 and yet they all evaporated as they could not escape Porto which clawed back every single time.
At MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Monday night, Ahly took the lead on 15 minutes with their first goal in the tournament. Porto gave the ball away in Ahly's end, allowing midfielder Hamdi Fathi to advance towards the box, then play in forward Wessam Abou Ali on the left who shot past goalkeeper Claudio Ramos, albeit the ball hitting the bottom of the post first.
The lead was short-lived as teenage talent 18-year-old Rodrigo Mora sliced through Ahly's defence before rounding Mohamed Al-Shenawi and rifling home. Shades of Maradona.
The pendulum swung back in favour of the Egyptian giants just before the interval as Fabio Vieira tripped up Zizo in the box, allowing Abou Ali to score the resulting penalty, sending Ramos the wrong way. It was the second time in the tournament that Zizo had won a penalty.
The end-to-end drama continued in the second half with William Gomes curling home a delightful right-foot strike from outside the box, only for Ahly to respond immediately with a difficult Abou Ali header completing the Palestinian's hat-trick. 3-2 Ahly.
Martin Anselmi's men would not be discouraged, though, and were back on terms yet again in their next attack, with Samu Aghehowa rising highest in the box to power home another header from a corner.
Yet every time Porto fought back, Ahly would take the lead again as Tunisian Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane found the top corner from range with a fantastic strike.
With time running out, and news filtering through of the scoreline in Florida, Pepe scored the final goal in the 89th minute following a night (or day, depending on which continent you live in) of high drama.
With the two results, Palmeiras and Inter Miami finished one-two in Group A with five points each and advance to the round of 16. Porto finished third with two points, same as Ahly who finished last, losing third place on goal difference.
Abou Ali's hat trick made up for his own goal scored in Ahly's second game with Palmeiras which ended 2-0 for the Brazilians in a match that was suspended for 50 minutes due to the threat of lightning.
Ahly's campaign fell short of expectations, starting with a 0-0 draw with Inter Miami in their opener, one in which they could have won had they converted several golden opportunities in the first half.
It was always going to be a difficult campaign for Ahly in this new Club World Cup which expanded from seven teams to 32. Even Ahly's illustrious history in this tournament and beyond were not enough to push them to the knockout stages.
Ahly, founded in 1907, have won a record 45 national league titles and 39 domestic cups — another record. It qualified for the Club World Cup three times over by winning three of the last four African Champions League titles. The Egyptian giants have participated in the CWC on now 10 occasions and have won four bronze medals.
Ahly have the second highest number of appearances at the Club World Cup, two behind New Zealand's Auckland City, who hold the record with 12.
Though Ahly finished their CWC journey without a win, with the 4-4 classic they performed in, they can clap back at critics who questioned the wisdom of hiring a coach, Spanish tactician Jose Riveiro, just two weeks before the tournament began. The club would also insist that their offseason trades, especially for Zizo, paid off.
In its previous format of just seven teams, the CWC never fully captured global interest. Played in the middle of the season during Europe's top leagues, it had the feel of an exhibition rather than a serious tournament. Imagine in the old format a team reaching the final after playing – and winning – just one game. Now, the winning team must play a total of seven games. This Club World Cup will also henceforth be held every four years instead of one. And it is to be played in the summer.
The tournament is being held in the US from 14 June to 13 July, using 12 stadiums in 11 cities for 63 matches.
The final will be at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, the same stadium that will play host to the 2026 World Cup final.
In fact, the Club World Cup will serve mainly as a dress rehearsal for the 2026 World Cup which will be jointly hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada.
While Ahly did not make it beyond the group stage there is still much cash to be had; the pot has increased tremendously. By just securing places in the tournament, the four African teams participating - Ahly, Esperance of Tunisia, Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco - are each guaranteed $9.55 million appearance fees.
A win in the group phase will add $2 million, a draw $1 million, and a top-two finish and qualification for the knockout phase $7.5 million. This CWC is one of the richest in professional sports. Prize money of $1 billion will be split between the teams, with the tournament winners earning up to $131 million.
Manchester City are the reigning club champion, winning the title in 2023 under the former seven-team format. There was no CWC in 2024.
Two Brazilians, Palmeiras and Botafogo, will now meet in the round of 16 while Inter Miama, with Lionel Messi at the helm, meet newly crowned Champions League winners PSG, Messi's former team.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 26 June, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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