
Ahly coach Riveiro pleased with team performance against Porto despite elimination
However, Ahly and Port bid farewell to the tournament as Inter Miami and Palmeiras finished first and second place in their group stage.
'The game was good to some extent, and our performance was also good. Both teams were exhausted, but the weather was better than in previous games,' the Spanish tactician Riveiro told DAZN TV network after the game.
'We were trying to prove our worth. We lost several scoring chances. We tried,' he added.
Ahly—12-time African champions—opened their World Cup campaign with a frustrating 0-0 draw against Inter Miami before losing 2-0 to Brazilian side Palmeiras in the previous game.
Commenting on the huge fan presence to support the team at MetLife Stadium, Riveiro said: 'It was like we were playing in Cairo. Ahly supporters are absolutely amazing. I didn't see something like that before.'
Ahly have won four bronze medals in nine appearances in the Club World Cup.
Find more details on group standings, match schedules, and competition statistics
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.)
Short link:

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Al-Ahram Weekly
2 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Palmeiras edge Brazilian rivals Botafogo in extra time at Club World Cup
The winger came on at the same time in the second half as Palmeiras coach Abel Ferreira withdrew teenage sensation Estevao Willian, a move that appeared baffling at the time but ultimately proved inspired. The tie had reached the 100th minute when Paulinho collected a pass by Richard Rios on the right flank and was afforded the time and space to come inside into the box before slotting a low shot into the far corner. That sparked wild celebrations among the Palmeiras fans who made up the vast majority of the 33,657 crowd inside Lincoln Financial Field, and the side from Sao Paulo held on to win the last-16 showdown despite having captain Gustavo Gomez sent off late on. Winners of the Copa Libertadores in 2020 and 2021, Palmeiras will now stay in Philadelphia for a last-eight tie next Friday against either Benfica or Chelsea, who meet later Saturday in Charlotte. They had been the more dangerous side throughout in this meeting of the top two in last year's Brazilian league, with almost all of the chances falling the way of the men in green. Rio de Janeiro side Botafogo pipped Palmeiras to the domestic title and also won the Copa Libertadores for the first time in their history in 2024. They then lost their coach and several key players, but still managed to beat European champions Paris Saint-Germain during the group stage of the Club World Cup as they qualified for the knockout phase ahead of Atletico Madrid. Nevertheless, Palmeiras were the more lively of the two teams in a game played in warm midday conditions in Philadelphia. Estevao taken off All eyes were on Estevao, the 18-year-old winger who will join Chelsea once the tournament is over and is seen as Brazil's next big thing. He found it hard to make an impact in what was for long spells a disappointing game pockmarked by moments of quality. Colombian midfielder Rios came close to scoring in first-half stoppage time with a thunderous shot from the edge of the box that was deflected onto the roof of the net. Estevao then came to life after the restart, forcing a good save from Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor and then putting the ball in the net only to be denied by an offside flag. There was surprise around the stadium when the starlet was taken off just after the hour mark alongside striker Vitor Roque, with Luighi and Paulinho sent into the attack. A Mauricio header from a Joaquin Piquerez cross was tipped over and Paulinho then blazed high from a good position as normal time ended goalless. Into the extra half-hour they went, and a Rios piledriver was parried behind before the goal finally arrived thanks to the once-capped Brazil winger who played in the Atletico Mineiro side beaten by Botafogo in last year's Libertadores final. The substitute was then promptly substituted, his job done for the day. Botafogo pushed for an equaliser that would have led to a penalty shoot-out, but could not find it even after Paraguayan centre-back Gomez walked for a second booking in the 116th minute for grappling off the ball with Alexander Barboza. Find more details on group standings, match schedules, and competition statistics (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Short link:


Al-Ahram Weekly
2 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Final third ability keeping Europe ahead as gap narrows: Wenger
Wenger, speaking alongside members of FIFA's Technical Study Group, who have been analysing games at the 32-club tournament, said however the distance between UEFA's top clubs and those from South America and elsewhere has been proven to be narrower than many imagined. "Overall, what was a surprise to me, we as Europeans we come here and think, maybe we are a bit too strong for the rest of the world and it was a little bit an experience of humility," he told reporters. Wenger said South American teams had shown how competitive they can be and that South African club Mamelodi Sundowns, whose only defeat was a 4-3 loss to Borussia Dortmund, had also shown an impressive level of play. "They put us in our real place here, especially the Brazilian teams and I must say also teams like Mamelodi Sundowns, when you look at the game against Dortmund, the numbers, you look at the team... even Ahly, they are out of the tournament like the Sundowns but the competition is much tighter than expected," said the Frenchman. But Wenger said that the data and analysis conducted by his group showed that a quality gap remained when it comes to the attacking third. "Definitely it is the final third," said Wenger. "The timing of the pass, the quality of the pass, the quality of the run, the quality of the execution (of finishing), it all lies there." Former Germany and USA coach Juergen Klinsmann, another member of the study group, said that the experience of high-level competition could help increase that quality level. "Part of that quality comes from experience. When is Pachuca or Monterrey playing in a tournament like this? That is why when I was coach of the USA I said 'get me into Copa America, get me friendlies in Europe and not here in this region'," said the former World Cup winning striker. "It has a lot do with the level of competition they usually get in their club environment, because in the box it is in your head, in your mind, because they can play, obviously they are good players," he said. The last 16, which got underway on Saturday, features four Brazilian clubs, Saudi club Al Hilal, Mexico's Monterrey and Inter Miami from the United States, along with nine European clubs. European clubs Porto, Atletico Madrid and Salzburg failed to make it out of the group stage. Wenger said the tournament should motivate clubs around the world to up their standards even more. "Our hope is that the teams who did compete go home and say 'next time, we know what we had to do to be stronger'," he said. The 75-year-old Wenger said he felt the tournament had a real future. "Overall, I would say it went better than I expected it and I am quite optimistic," he said. "It looks like it is the start of something that will never stop again." Find more details on group standings, match schedules, and competition statistics (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Short link:


Al-Ahram Weekly
4 hours ago
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Pogba signs for Monaco, hoping to revive career - World
Paul Pogba has signed a two-year deal with Ligue 1 side Monaco to return to football after a near two-year absence, the club announced on Saturday. The 2018 World Cup winner has made only 12 appearances across the last three seasons due to injuries, an 18-month doping ban and an extortion case in which he was the victim. Pogba failed a drugs test in August 2023 after a match for Juventus and has been free to return to football since March, although his contract at the Italian giants had been terminated last year. The midfielder will now play club football in Ligue 1 for the first time in his professional career. "I am determined to get back on the pitch, mentally ready, physically ready, it's just a matter of time," the 32-year-old told French television last weekend. Pogba played in the Le Havre youth team before signing for Manchester United in 2009. He made only a handful of first-team appearances for the three-time European champions before signing for Juventus in 2012. Pogba won four consecutive Serie A titles in Turin before rejoining United for a then-world record 105 million euros ($123 million). He moved back to Juventus three years ago but struggled with a series of injuries. In 2024, his brother Mathias was sentenced to three years in prison, with two years suspended, for his role in a plot to extort 13 million euros from Pogba in 2022. Pogba has scored 11 goals in 91 appearances for the France national team, playing a starring role and scoring in their World Cup final victory over Croatia seven years ago. His new club Monaco will play in the Champions League next season after finishing third in Ligue 1 last term. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports.) Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link: