Ahly And Messi’s Miami Share The Spoils In Club World Cup Opener

Jose Riveiro’s Al Ahly began their FIFA Club World Cup campaign with a hard-fought 0-0 draw against Inter Miami at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday morning.

The Red Devils, under their new coach, started the game on a high note, creating several scoring opportunities in the first 10 minutes.

One notable chance fell to Mohamed Romdhane in the fifth minute, but his shot inside the six-yard box was well saved by Inter Miami’s goalkeeper, Oscar Ustari.

The game took a turn when Emam Ashour suffered an injury in the 14th minute, forcing Riveiro to introduce Ahmed Sayed.

Despite the setback, Al Ahly continued to press for a goal, with Romdhane combining well with Hamdi Fathi in a promising attack. However, Fathi’s shot was saved by Ustari, who was emerging as the hero for the hosts.

In the 30th minute, Al Ahly thought they had taken the lead through Wessam Ali, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

The Red Devils continued to create chances, earning a free kick in the 32nd minute after Tomas Aviles fouled Mahmoud Trezeguet.

Ali took the free kick well, but Ustari made another spectacular save, denying Al Ahly the opening goal.

The corner kick that followed almost yielded a goal, with Yasser Ibrahim heading the ball towards the goal, only for Ustari to make another incredible save.

The Red Devils’ high pressure paid off in the 44th minute, as they won a penalty. However, Trezeguet’s effort was saved by Ustari, who had an outstanding first half.

Inter Miami almost capitalized on Al Ahly’s miss, with Lionel Messi hitting the crossbar from inside the 18-yard box.

The second half saw both teams start strongly, with Al Ahly coming close to scoring in the 47th minute through a poor shot by Trezeguet.

Miami’s goalkeeper, however, was not tested until the 50th minute, when Al Ahly’s captain, Mohamed El Shenawy, made a great save to deny Tadeo Allende.

El Shenawy repeated the feat in the 57th minute, saving a powerful shot from Messi from outside the box.

As the game progressed, the Red Devils introduced Taher Mohamed and Hussein Elshahat in an attempt to strengthen their attack.

Elshahat almost scored immediately after coming on, but Ustari was equal to the task. Despite introducing Nejc Gradišar and Mohamed Afsha in the 80th minute, Al Ahly was unable to break the deadlock.

Javier Mascherano’s side had a chance to win the game in the 84th minute, but El Shenawy denied Fafà Picault’s header.

The Egyptian goalkeeper made two more saves in the final minutes, including one from Messi’s powerful shot from outside the box, to ensure the game ended 0-0.

The draw means that Al Ahly will face Palmeiras on Thursday at MetLife Stadium, while Inter Miami will take on Porto in Miami’s next game on Thursday in the same venue.

The Red Devils will look to bounce back from the draw and make a strong impression in the tournament.