ABU DHABI: African champions Al Ahly of Egypt will play Copa Libertadores winners Palmeiras for a place in the Club World Cup final after defeating Monterrey 1-0 on Saturday.
Defender Mohamed Hany drilled in the winning goal on 53 minutes for an Al Ahly side missing a number of players who are part of the Egypt squad through to Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final.
Al Ahly advance to the semifinals against Brazilian club Palmeiras next week, leaving Monterrey to contest the fifth-place play-off.
The Mexican side, last season’s CONCACAF Champions League winners coached by former Egypt boss Javier Aguirre, will take on the losers of Sunday’s game between Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal and Al Jazira.
Al Hilal won the Asian Champions League title, while Al Jazira qualified as winners of the UAE Pro League. Al Jazira beat AS Pirae of Tahiti 4-1 in the opening match of the tournament.
European champions Chelsea enter the competition in the last four, with Al Hilal or Jazira their first opponents on February 9.
Al Ahly set up Palmeiras clash at Club World Cup
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Al Ahly set up Palmeiras clash at Club World Cup
- Defender Mohamed Hany drilled in the winning goal on 53 minutes for Al Ahly
- Al Ahly advance to the semi-finals against Brazilian club Palmeiras next week
US invests in counter-drone tech to protect FIFA World Cup venues
The US will invest $115 million in counter-drone measures to bolster security around the FIFA World Cup and America’s 250th Anniversary celebrations, the Department of Homeland Security said on Monday, the latest sign of governments stepping up drone defenses.
The FIFA World Cup will be a major test of President Donald Trump’s pledge to keep the US secure, with over a million travelers expected to visit for the tournament and billions more watching matches from overseas.
The threat of drone attacks has become a growing concern since the war in Ukraine has demonstrated their lethal capabilities. And recent drone incidents have worried both European and US airports.
“We are entering a new era to defend our air superiority to protect our borders and the interior of the United States,” DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. Defense companies are developing a range of technologies aimed at countering drones, including tracking software, lasers, microwaves and autonomous machine guns.
The DHS did not specify which technologies it would deploy to World Cup venues. The announcement comes weeks after the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which sits under DHS, said it granted $250 million to 11 states hosting World Cup matches to buy counter-drone technologies.
Last summer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, called on Trump, a Republican, to bolster federal support for defending against drone attacks.
