Mexican Pachuca, Concacaf champion, defeated Egyptian Al-Ahly on penalties (6-5) this Saturday and qualified for the final of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, where they will face Real Madrid.
After a goalless draw, Uruguayan coach Guillermo Almada’s Tuzos missed their first two shots from 11 steps, but then had a perfect performance, while the African champions failed in everything in favor of them.
In a rough first half, Ahly were the first to create danger, with a shot in the 13th minute by Taher Mohamed, after a pass from Hussein El Shahat, and a header wide, in the 17th, by Wessan Abou Ali.
The Mexicans equalized the game and in the 23rd minute they entered the opposing area. Dutch-Moroccan Oussama Idrissi made a few dribbles and laid the ball to Venezuelan Salomón Rondón, who finished wide.
Idrissi pressed the attack and in the 26th minute he came close to opening the scoring with a left-footed shot that went over the crossbar.
Mohamed again created danger for the Africans, in the 36th minute, as his shot went wide of the goal. The Egyptians finished better, with another goal game by the same player, who lacked strength.
The second half was a struggle, with both teams having an offensive proposition.
With a good contribution from Colombian Nelson Deossa, who entered the field in the 46th minute, Pachuca pushed forward in the lines in the last 20 minutes and in the 84th minute created a danger with another shot by Idrissi, which goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy stopped.
In the first period of extra time the Egyptians missed the chance to take advantage. In the 105th minute, Kahraba received an assist from Percy Tau, but finished powerless. In the second the best was a header from Rondón.
Rondón and Spaniard Borja Gastón missed a series of penalties and then Argentine Gustavo Cabral, Idrissi, Deossa, Elías Montiel, Luis Rodríguez and Colombian Faber Gil converted.
Al Ahly took the lead with goals from Mohamed Afsha, Rami Rabia and Marwan Attia. Kahraba and Omar Kamal missed, Amro Elsouila and Percy Tau converted, but Khaled Abdelfattah hit the ball against the crossbar to give the Mexicans the win. Pachuca will compete for the title next Wednesday against Real Madrid.
Pachuca
00
al ahly
0 (6). Pachuca: Carlos Moreno; Andrés Micolta, Gustavo Cabral, Bryan González, Luis Rodríguez; Alan Bautista (Angel Mena m.57) (Borja Bastón m.121), Pedro Pedraza (Faber Gil m.110), Elías Montiel, Alfonso González (Nelson Deossa m.46); Salomón Rondón, Oussama Idrissi.
Coach: Guillermo Almada.
0 (5). Al-Ahly: Mohamed Elshemawy; Omar Kamal, Rami Rabia, Yasser Ibrahim, Akram Tawfik (Amro Elsoluia m.101), Yanya Attiat-Allah (Khaled Abdelfatthah m.92); Emam Ashour, Marwan Attia, Hussein Elshahat (Mohamed Afshat m.72), Taher Mohamed (Percy Tau m.92); Wessam Abou Ali (Kahraba d.78).
Coach: Marcel Koller Goals: None.
Referee: Alireza Faghani, from Iran. He reprimanded Alfonso González, Alan Bautista, Angel Mena, Luis Rodríguez and Emam Ashour.
Incidents: Intercontinental Cup semi-final played at Stadium 974, Doha.
see the match sheet
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
