Egyptian powerhouses Al Ahly’s thrilling 4–4 draw with FC Porto on Tuesday morning made them the second African team eliminated in the ongoing Fifa Club World Cup.
Ahly finished at the bottom of Group A with two points behind Porto, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, and Brazilian outfit Palmeiras, respectively.
The Red Devils led on four occasions, courtesy of a Wessam Abou Ali hat-trick and a goal from Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane.
However, the Egyptians allowed Porto back in the game and squandered many goal-scoring opportunities to confirm their exit from the competition.
Jose Riveiro’s team now follows Thembinkosi Lorch and Cassius Mailula’s Wydad Athletic Club of Morocco, who also crashed out of the competition in the US following their 4-1 defeat to Juventus on Sunday.
Lorch registered his name on the scoresheet and displayed yet another impressive performance on the world stage.
Sundowns must beat Fluminense
Bafana Bafana winger Elias Mokwana’s side Esperance de Tunis and Mamelodi Sundowns are the two African teams left in the competition and stand a chance to advance to the round of 16.
Esperance, tied on three points with English Premier League side Chelsea, will face off in a Group D decider on Wednesday morning.
The match kicks off at 3am (SA time), and the winner will join Flamengo in the last 16 of the Fifa Club World Cup.
On Wednesday night, however, Sundowns will also have no choice but to defeat leaders Fluminense in their last Group F game. The game will get underway at 9pm.
Masandawana have been one of the standout teams in the competition, especially after their seven-goal thriller against Borussia Dortmund at the weekend.
The reigning Premier Soccer League champions succumbed to a disappointing yet hard-fought 4-3 defeat at the hands of Dortmund.
They won their opening match against Ulsan and will be desperate to cause an upset against a tough Fluminense side to continue their run in the competition.
