Riveiro’s Al Ahly Suffer CWC Group Stage Exit
Al Ahly will travel back home earlier than expected after being knocked out of the FIFA Club World Cup in the group stages following an eight-goal thriller in a 4-4 draw against FC Porto at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday morning.
In a high-intensity encounter, it was the Egyptian giants who broke the deadlock through Wessam Abou Ali in the 15th minute, before 18-year-old Portuguese wonderkid Rodrigo Mora leveled matters with a well-worked solo goal eight minutes later.
The Palestinian forward restored the lead for Jose Riveiro’s side from the spot on the stroke of halftime after newly signed Ahmed Sayed ‘Zizo’ was fouled on the edge of the box as Ahly went into the break with a one-goal cushion.
With a couple of changes, the Portuguese juggernauts swiftly responded in the second stanza, with William Gomes restoring parity in the 50th minute – a goal that started a sequence of three goals scored in just two minutes and 49 seconds.
Immediately on the other end of the pitch, Abou Ali completed his hat-trick with a glancing header to make it 3-2 to the Red Devils, but the lead lasted for a minute as Porto found the equalizing goal through Zaidu Sanusi to silence the North Africans.
Desperate for maximum points, the Spanish mentor refreshed his team with Nejc Gradisar, Achraf Bencharki, and Omar Kamal, before Tunisian midfielder Ben Romdhane curled one into the top corner to make it 4-3, four minutes after the hour mark.
However, Riveiro’s men couldn’t hold on for the win as Pepe salvaged a point for the 30-time Portuguese champions with a goal in the 89th minute. In the end, Ahly were made to rue their missed chances as they missed countless sitters during the game.
As a result, the record 12-time African champions finished their World Cup campaign at the bottom of group A standings, having managed to accumulate only two points from three matches, courtesy of stalemates against Inter Miami and Porto and a defeat to Palmeiras of Brazil.
The Brazilian outfit topped the group with five points to set up a meeting with fellow Brazilian side Botafogo in the Round of 16. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi’s Miami will square off against European champions Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) after a second-placed finish with five points as well.
