The Mexican team Pachuca clinched the Challenge Cup title by defeating Al-Ahly of Egypt 6-5 on penalty kicks, after the original and extra time ended in a goalless draw, in the match that was held at Stadium 974 in the Qatari capital, Doha.
With this achievement, Pachuca added his second title in the “FIFA Intercontinental” Championship, after his previous crowning of the Americas Derby Cup, while dashing Al-Ahly’s hopes of qualifying to face Real Madrid in the expected final next Wednesday at Lusail Stadium.
The first half was characterized by a strong performance by Al-Ahly, which was the most dangerous, through shots from Omar Kamal Abdel Wahed, Taher Mohamed and Emam Ashour, but the brilliance of Carlos Moreno, Pachuca’s goalkeeper, prevented any goals from being scored. For his part, Pachuca tried to return to the atmosphere of the match through opportunities from Solomon Rondon and Moroccan Osama Al-Idrissi, but Mohamed El-Shenawy excelled in confronting them.
In the second half, the goalless draw continued despite mutual attempts. Moroccan Yahya Attia Allah and Taher Mohamed missed opportunities, while El-Shenawy stood as an impenetrable barrier to Pachuca’s attempts in the final minutes.
The match extended to extra time, as both teams came close to breaking the tie. Mahmoud Kahraba missed a completely one-on-one opportunity in the 105th minute, while Pachuca did not succeed in taking advantage of the corner kicks.
In the penalty shootout, despite the Mexican team’s less-than-ideal start by missing the first two kicks, Pachuca came back strongly to snatch the dramatic victory, while Al-Ahly bid farewell to the tournament with great sadness. With this, Pachuca qualifies for the final to face Real Madrid, while Al-Ahly is satisfied with the African and Asia-Pacific Cup title.
