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The Citizen
a day ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Sundowns can hold their heads high despite Club World Cup exit
I previously stated on this platform that I did not expect much from our four African representatives at the FIFA... I previously stated on this platform that I did not expect much from our four African representatives at the FIFA Club World Cup, and I have unfortunately been proven right. ALSO READ: Motaung not definitive on whether Chiefs' Nabi will stay Mamelodi Sundowns have crashed out of the tournament following a goalless draw against Brazil's Fluminense in their final group stage match at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Wednesday night. Sundowns also gone as Africa misses out The Tshwane giants complete the quartet of African clubs alongside Al Ahly, Esperance, and Wydad Casablanca that have failed to progress beyond the group stages. All four teams stumbled at the first hurdle and failed to reach the knockout phase. Understandably, many African football fans are disappointed, particularly in the cases of Ahly and Sundowns, who carried the hopes of the continent. In contrast, expectations were far lower for Esperance and Wydad. While I share the frustrations of fans from the continent's flagship clubs, I do not believe either Ahly or Sundowns disgraced themselves on the global stage. This was the first edition of the Club World Cup in its expanded 32-team format, and all four African sides gave a respectable account of themselves. In Sundowns' case, there is no shame in losing to Borussia Dortmund, a club with far greater resources and pedigree. Their historic 1-0 win over Ulsan HD in the opening match will, unfortunately, count for little after their early exit. However, it is worth noting that this was the club's first-ever win at a Club World Cup, having lost to Asian clubs Kashima Antlers and Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors back in the 2016 edition. Progress has been made Based on that alone, one could argue that Sundowns have shown progress on the world stage. Their players will only grow from this experience. Credit must also be given for sticking to their trademark 'shoe-shine and piano' football philosophy, which won many admirers. The world has now taken notice of the Betway Premiership champions, and it would not be surprising to see European clubs lining up for their standout talents. Performances from Lucas Ribeiro, Teboho Mokoena, Khuliso Mudau, and, to a lesser extent, Marcelo Allende, have certainly not gone unnoticed. As for Al Ahly, José Riveiro was always going to face an uphill battle. Taking over the Egyptian giants in the United States came with significant pressure, especially following their third-place finish at the 2023 edition in Saudi Arabia. Anything less was always going to raise questions. However, context is important. In the previous tournament, Ahly only needed to win one match to reach the semi-finals, where they lost to Fluminense before beating Urawa Red Diamonds 4-2 to claim the bronze medal. Riveiro will undoubtedly face scrutiny from the Egyptian media and Ahly legends, many of whom are known for their fierce criticism of foreign coaches. ALSO READ: Spirited Sundowns slide out of Club World Cup Looking ahead, the continent can only hope for improvement at the 2029 edition of the Club World Cup. Pyramids FC have already secured their place after winning the 2024–25 CAF Champions League. The remaining three spots will be filled by winners of the next three editions of the tournament, starting from 2026.
Al-Ahram Weekly
3 days ago
- Sport
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Ahly striker Abou Ali proud of Club World Cup campaign
The Palestinian international impressed in the inaugural edition of the expanded competition, despite Ahly's early exit. He scored a hat-trick in a dramatic 4-4 draw with Portugal's FC Porto on Tuesday and was named man of the match. 'It was a tournament full of lessons, with both highs and lows,' Abou Ali wrote on Instagram. 'Without a doubt, I will look back on it with pride as time goes on.' The 26-year-old's future at the Cairo club remains uncertain, with media reporting he could leave during the summer transfer window. Abou Ali joined Ahly from Swedish side IK Sirius in January 2024 on a four-year deal. Despite arriving mid-season, he finished as the Egyptian Premier League's top scorer with 18 goals. Since joining the record African champions, he has netted 38 goals and provided 10 assists in 60 appearances in all fronts. 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
3 days ago
- Sport
- Al-Ahram Weekly
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 Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al-Ahram Weekly
4 days ago
- Sport
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Ahly players send heartfelt apologies to club fans after World Cup elimination
The Cairo giants dramatically concluded their campaign at the prestigious tournament, holding Portuguese powerhouse Porto to an exhilarating 4-4 draw in their final group stage match at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium. However, Ahly and Port bid farewell to the tournament as Inter Miami and Palmeiras finished first and second place in their group stage. Ahram Online collected post-match reactions from Ahly players: Goalkeeper Mohamed El Shennawy 'We apologize. We wanted to please all of you today and achieve victory. We apologize from the bottom of our hearts. You are always behind us, in every second and every game.' 'Our relationship isn't just about football. We have one soul, one heart, and one target.' The Egyptian international promised the supporters a new era with better achievements, stressing that players will fight to please the fans. Midfielder Magdi Afsha 'We weren't lucky enough in the first game against Inter Miami and today against Porto. We wasted several scoring chances. We could have played other games with more rest if we had won in the opening game. Maybe other teams did more effort than us.' 'We are sad, and I know that fans wanted to see us in the quarterfinals. I apologize to everyone for what happened in previous games.' 'We scored four goals against Porto and I think we could have scored 10 goals with the wasted chances. For me the worst thing for me is elimination from the tournament.' Right-back Mohamed Hani 'I know that fans aren't satisfied and that the performance wasn't the best one in the first two games, but today the majority of players did their best and we reached the goal a lot but we weren't lucky.' 'We were supposed to win with a bigger result, but this is football. This is a big lesson for us. 'Fans supported us a lot, and that was the first chance for several new players to play together, and also for the new coach, who needs more time to adapt.' Winger Hussein El-Shahat 'We were fully concentrated and wanted to win to reconcile our fans. We played with hope to qualify till the last minute.' 'We wasted a lot of scoring chances, and we weren't lucky in other chances.' 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 days ago
- Sport
- Al-Ahram Weekly
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:
