NEW JERSEY – Al-Ahly head coach José Riveiro said that the team has turned the page on their defeat to Palmeiras and is now fully focused on their crucial upcoming clash against Portugal’s Porto in the final round of Group A at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States.
“We’ve closed the Palmeiras chapter and are fully focused on Porto,” Riveiro saidin remarks according to the club’s official website.
“The weather disruption affected the flow of the game. We had to make four substitutions after the restart to regain momentum.”
The Spanish coach pointed out that the limited time the technical staff has had with the squad made it difficult to impose a new playing style, but emphasized ongoing efforts to improve the team’s performance.
Al-Ahly currently sits at the bottom of Group A with just one point from two outings. The Red Devils will face Porto at 4:00am Cairo local time on Tuesday, June 24, at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, in their final group stage encounter.
Riveiro acknowledged the toll a long and demanding season has taken on his players, noting that the team entered the tournament carrying physical and mental fatigue.
Stormy blow
The Egyptian giants fell 2–0 to Brazil’s Palmeiras in the second round, in a game interrupted by thunderstorms at MetLife Stadium.
After a balanced first half marked by aggressive challenges—including a controversial yellow card for Palmeiras’ Raphael Veiga following VAR review—the Brazilians struck twice in the second half to seal the win.
The match was suspended in the 62nd minute due to a sudden storm. Players were ushered off the pitch and fans evacuated for safety before play eventually resumed.
The clash marked the third match at the FIFA Club World Cup to be disrupted by severe weather.
On Tuesday, Mamelodi Sundowns’ encounter with Ulsan HD was delayed for just over an hour before kick-off due to a weather alert.
A day later, RB Salzburg’s showdown with Pachuca was halted for 97 minutes in the second half as storms swept through the area.
Al-Ahly had opened their campaign with a goalless draw against MLS side Inter Miami at Hard Rock Stadium, but the loss to Palmeiras left them with just one point from two matches, while the Brazilian side moved to four.
Hopes on edge
Al-Ahly now faces a precarious qualification scenario. Their progression to the Round of 16 is no longer entirely in their own hands, hinging on both their performance and other group results.
To stay in the tournament, Al-Ahly must defeat Porto by at least two goals. A narrower win would leave them vulnerable due to goal difference calculations.
Furthermore, Palmeiras must beat Inter Miami by a two-goal margin to prevent a points tie that would bring fair play tiebreakers into play.
This marks Al-Ahly’s 10th appearance at the FIFA Club World Cup. The Cairo powerhouse has earned global recognition over the years, clinching four bronze medals—in 2006, 2020, 2021, and 2023—under the tournament’s previous format.
