TANGIER, Morocco: Mohammed Afsha scored on a deflected shot in the 88th minute and sent Al-Ahly into the Club World Cup semifinals by beating the Seattle Sounders 1-0 on Saturday.
Afsha scored after coming on as a substitute in the 63rd. He lifted Al-Ahly into the semifinals for the third straight year, and brought an abrupt end to the first appearance by a team from the United States in the competition.
His initial shot from outside the penalty area hit the crossbar. Seattle were unable to clear the danger and Afsha’s second attempt deflected off defender Alex Roldan and bounded past goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
It was the only shot on target by the Egyptian club as both sides played a heavily defensive game where chances at goal were limited.
Al-Ahly will face Real Madrid in the semifinals next Wednesday in Rabat. Al-Ahly have not lost a match in any competition since Aug. 27 in the Egyptian Premier League.
Al-Ahly have finished third in each of the past two Club World Cups but have never made the final.
Seattle were the first club from Major League Soccer to take part in the Club World Cup after winning the CONCACAF Champions League last May. The Sounders carried hopes of advancing through their first match and playing at least three matches at the event.
But while Seattle were excellent defensively, they lacked quality chances on attack. Seattle finished with just one shot on goal, a speculative attempt from defensive midfielder Josh Atencio early in the second half.
“I thought we were good. I thought we were evenly matched. A couple of chances. But the deflection on the goal, it’s unfortunate,” Seattle coach Brian Schmetzer said.
Seattle were playing their first competitive match in 3 ½ months while the rest of MLS was going through preseason preparations. The Sounders’ previous match was last October and the team gathered for MLS preseason camp in early January.
“They put everything into the game. They put everything into preseason,” Schmetzer said.
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A perfect cross from Mohamed Hany was nodded by captain Trezeguet into the corner of the net past Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra.
Ahly stamped their authority on the match in the second half and deservedly increased their lead on 75 minutes.
Slick, one-touch passing set up Trezeguet, who moved across several defenders inside the area before curling the ball into the far corner of the net.
The goals lifted Trezeguet to five in the Champions League this season, level with Brazilian Tiago Reis from Angolan club Petro Luanda at the top of the charts.
Slovenian substitute Nejc Gradisar squandered a good chance to put Ahly even further ahead when he fired wide with only Diarra to beat.
In Group C, Abdelrazig Omer bagged a brace as Al Hilal of Sudan drew 2-2 with former champions Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in Pretoria in another top-of-the-table clash.
Sundowns, whose lone title came in 2016, and Hilal have five points each, with the South Africans ahead on goal difference.
A victory for either Saint-Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo or Mouloudia Alger of Algeria in Lubumbashi on Sunday will move the winners within one point of Sundowns and Hilal.
Omer put Hilal ahead on 15 minutes from close range after a run down the wing and pass from Burundian Jean Claude Girumugisha.
Sundowns were level seven minutes later as Brazilian Arthur Sales got behind the Hilal defense and his weak goal attempt trickled into the net.
A thunderbolt from South African international Teboho Mokoena from outside the box on 64 minutes edged Sundowns in front.
But once again a lead lasted only seven minutes. Poor defending by Sundowns enabled Omer to score again and take his goal tally in Africa this season to four.
Hilal substitute Emmanuel Flomo from Liberia was shown a straight red card for striking Khuliso Mudau in the face, leaving the visitors to play with 10 men for the last four minutes of regular time.
A further four matchday three fixtures are scheduled for Saturday, including defending champions Pyramids of Egypt away to Renaissance Berkane of Morocco.
Al-Ahly’s late goal ends Seattle debut 1-0 in Club World Cup
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Al-Ahly’s late goal ends Seattle debut 1-0 in Club World Cup
- Afsha scored after coming on as a substitute in the 63rd
- He lifted Al-Ahly into the semifinals for the third straight year
Trezeguet brace gives Ahly CAF Champions League victory
- Success for the Red Devils in Alexandria opened a three-point lead in Group B for the record 12-time African champions
- Ahly have seven points and Young Africans four after three rounds
JOHANNESBURG: Former Aston Villa striker Mahmoud ‘Trezeguet’ Hassan scored the goals that gave Al Ahly of Egypt a 2-0 victory over Young Africans of Tanzania on Friday in the CAF Champions League.
Success for the Red Devils in the Mediterranean city Alexandria opened a three-point lead in Group B for the record 12-time African champions.
Ahly have seven points and Young Africans four after three rounds. JS Kabylie of Algeria and FAR Rabat of Morocco, who meet on Saturday, have one point each.
Young Africans created more chances than Ahly in a cagey first half only to fall behind in the third minute of added time.
A perfect cross from Mohamed Hany was nodded by captain Trezeguet into the corner of the net past Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra.
Ahly stamped their authority on the match in the second half and deservedly increased their lead on 75 minutes.
Slick, one-touch passing set up Trezeguet, who moved across several defenders inside the area before curling the ball into the far corner of the net.
The goals lifted Trezeguet to five in the Champions League this season, level with Brazilian Tiago Reis from Angolan club Petro Luanda at the top of the charts.
Slovenian substitute Nejc Gradisar squandered a good chance to put Ahly even further ahead when he fired wide with only Diarra to beat.
In Group C, Abdelrazig Omer bagged a brace as Al Hilal of Sudan drew 2-2 with former champions Mamelodi Sundowns of South Africa in Pretoria in another top-of-the-table clash.
Sundowns, whose lone title came in 2016, and Hilal have five points each, with the South Africans ahead on goal difference.
A victory for either Saint-Eloi Lupopo of the Democratic Republic of Congo or Mouloudia Alger of Algeria in Lubumbashi on Sunday will move the winners within one point of Sundowns and Hilal.
Omer put Hilal ahead on 15 minutes from close range after a run down the wing and pass from Burundian Jean Claude Girumugisha.
Sundowns were level seven minutes later as Brazilian Arthur Sales got behind the Hilal defense and his weak goal attempt trickled into the net.
A thunderbolt from South African international Teboho Mokoena from outside the box on 64 minutes edged Sundowns in front.
But once again a lead lasted only seven minutes. Poor defending by Sundowns enabled Omer to score again and take his goal tally in Africa this season to four.
Hilal substitute Emmanuel Flomo from Liberia was shown a straight red card for striking Khuliso Mudau in the face, leaving the visitors to play with 10 men for the last four minutes of regular time.
A further four matchday three fixtures are scheduled for Saturday, including defending champions Pyramids of Egypt away to Renaissance Berkane of Morocco.
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