Despite a 2-0 defeat to Brazilian side Palmeiras at MetLife Stadium in New York New Jersey in their second outing of Group A of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™, Al Ahly FC’s fight continues. The Egyptian giants will go into their group-stage finale with FC Porto on Monday with hopes still intact of advancing to the Round of 16.
The CAF side went toe-to-toe with their South American opponents in the first 45 minutes, but were left frustrated by a second half that they felt was not up to their usual lofty standards.
“Of course we are not happy because we lost, but we have another game and we hope we win and we can qualify,” said Al Ahly forward Trezeguet to FIFA. “The whole team will be better next game, for sure, because we came here to make something. And God willing, in the next game, we will fight to qualify.”
Trezeguet already expects a big response for Monday’s pivotal encounter against the Portuguese.
“Porto are a big team, a strong team, and also we are a big team and we are strong and we will fight,” he continued. “It was not our day today, but I hope in the next game that we will win.”
Fellow striker Wessam Abou Ali was his usual active self up top for his team. The No9’s darting runs through the Palmeiras back line opened up space in the first half, but Al Ahly were unable to take advantage.
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An unfortunate own goal from the Palestine international early in the second stanza tilted the match in the Brazilians’ favour from which Al Ahly never recovered.
“It was a good first half from us,” said Abou Ali. “I feel like we were dominating from the first minute and we were doing well. It was only a bit dangerous [from Palmeiras] on long balls and some set pieces.
“The second half, though, was not good enough from us. We were too far from each other and we gave them two easy goals. I mean, I scored an own goal for the first time in my life. I went up to clear the ball and it touched the top of my head and went in. It’s a horrible feeling obviously because that’s not the way you want to start the second half.”
With some slight changes and adjustments, Abou Ali believes the improvement can be made to capture a result against Porto that can give them a chance of advancing.
“We were just too far from each other and left them a lot of space in the second half, which made them control the game and the spaces,” said Abou Ali. “So we need to sit down and analyze that and look at what we can do better.”
