FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP - AL AHLY AND AL HILAL QUALIFIED !
Pictures : Egyptians of Al Ahly and Saudi's of Al Hilal are in the semi finals !
AL AHLY IN SEMI FINAL !
A wonderful goal from Mohamed Hany allowed Al Ahly to beat Monterrey 1-0 in the second round of the Club World Cup at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Saturday to advance to the semi-finals. A depleted Al Ahly have several players unavailable for the tournament after Egypt qualified for Sunday’s Africa Cup of Nations final and it was evident when the Mexican side dominated possession and had several attempts on goal in the first half. However, that did not stop Al Ahly from taking the lead in spectacular fashion through wing back Hany in the 53rd minute.
He was the first to pounce on a parry from goalkeeper Esteban Andrada and fired a fierce shot from the edge of the box that split the Monterrey defense and found the back of the net as the stadium erupted.
Al Ahly will play Brazilian side Palmeiras in the semi-final at the same venue on Tuesday. The two clubs had also met in the third-place playoff in the 2020 edition where the Egyptian side won on penalties after a goalless draw.
AL HILAL WILL PLAY CHELSEA !
Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia comfortably defeated the UAE’s Al Jazira 6-1 in Abu Dhabi to advance to the Club World Cup semifinal.
Abdoulay Diaby struck first for UAE Pro League champions Al Jazira, but Al Hilal responded with two goals before half-time from former Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo and Matheus Pereira. Mohamed Kanno headed in a corner to increase Al Hilal’s lead on 57 minutes and Salem Al Dawsari added a fourth goal with a composed finish at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium. Moussa Marega and Andre Carrillo completed a large win with late goals for Leonardo Jardim’s side, the record four-time Asian champions and 17-time Saudi league winners.
Al Hilal will take on European champions Chelsea at the same ground on Wednesday for a place in the February 12 final. Bayern München won the most recent edition of the Club World Cup , the last eight winners of the tournament have come from Europe.