DOHA — Al-Ahly of Egypt has finished preparations for their semi-final match against Mexico’s Pachuca in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup in Doha on Saturday, with Real Madrid awaiting the winner.
Pachuca sealed their place in the semi-finals Wednesday night with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Brazil’s Botafogo to line up the clash with the Egyptian giants.
Al-Ahly earned their spot in the last four of the classy tournament after a dominant 3-0 win over Al-Ain of the UAE in the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup in October.
Saturday’s match, set for 17:00 GMT, promises to be a thrilling encounter. Pachuca, riding high after their win, will be a formidable opponent, but Al-Ahly’s experience in global competitions could give them the edge.
The winners of the Challenger Cup match (Al-Ahly vs. Pachuca) will face Real Madrid in the Intercontinental Cup final on December 18.
The Red Devils, led by Swiss coach Marcel Koller, are aiming to secure a historic spot in the tournament final against European champions Real Madrid.
The Egyptian giants bring both confidence and pedigree into the tournament. Ahly now dream of progressing to face European champions Real Madrid in the Intercontinental Cup final.
Saturday will be Pachuca’s first appearance in the semi-finals of a world club competition since 2018, when they lost to Brazilian side Gremio at the Club World Cup (1-0 in extra time) before suffering a 4-1 defeat versus Al-Jazira in the third-place playoff.
With a record 12 CAF Champions League titles and numerous domestic and continental honors, Al-Ahly has long been accustomed to excelling on football’s biggest stages.
“Competing in major tournaments is part of our DNA,” said midfielder Marwan Attia after the team’s recent triumph. “We’re ready to rise to the challenge,” he added according to cafonline.com.
For Al-Ahly, the chance to meet Real Madrid in the final serves as additional motivation. “Facing the biggest club in the world is an incredible incentive,” added Attia.
Veteran defender Omar Kamal emphasized the team’s resilience under pressure. “Al-Ahly’s character truly shines in difficult moments,” Kamal said, reflecting on their recent success in the African Super Cup and Egyptian Super Cup.
With a rich history in global competitions, including four appearances in the past five FIFA Club World Cups, Al-Ahly’s experience provides a crucial edge.
“Experience from past editions gave us confidence,” said Kamal.
“We don’t take any game for granted because they’re all big teams.”
The Red Devils aim to add another chapter to their storied legacy by reaching the Intercontinental Cup final and representing African football on the global stage.
After a dominating performance this fall, Al-Ahly is in the semi-finals of a world club tournament for a fifth consecutive campaign.
Mahmoud Kahraba, one of Al-Ahly’s stars, underlined the club’s hunger for titles. “We always focus on winning big and important games because it offers us a new title,” Kahraba said.
Kahraba praised the fans for their unwavering support, which has become a hallmark of the team’s success.
Koller’s team are on a nine-match unbeaten run across all competitions, with the reigning CAF Champions League winners in Africa failing to concede or score in their two matches this month.
Since October, the 44-time Egyptian Premier League champions have not lost a single encounter when scoring the opening goal, dropping points on only one of those occasions (1-1 draw with Al-Ittihad of Alexandria).
Saturday’s clash will mark the fifth time they face a club from Liga MX, with the last Al Ahly triumph over Mexican opposition being in the second round of the Club World Cup two years ago against Monterrey (1-0).
Nobody knows FIFA club tournament competition better than Al-Ahly’s winger Hussein el-Shahat, who can’t wait to face Pachuca on Saturday.
When it comes to FIFA club tournaments, you would be hard-pressed to find a more experienced player than El-Shahat. The Al-Ahly midfielder has appeared in 16 matches and is competing in his sixth competition at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2024 in Qatar, where El-Shahat and the Egyptian giants will take on Mexican side Pachuca in the FIFA Challenger Cup on Saturday.
Al-Ahly reached this phase of the tournament thanks to a commanding 3-0 triumph over Al-Ain of the United Arab Emirates in the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup. Now just a win away from a dream date with Real Madrid in the final, El-Shahat spoke to FIFA about the significance of the Intercontinental Cup to the club.
“Al Ahly is a giant club, and is accustomed to participating in major tournaments like the Intercontinental Cup,” said Elshahat. “This participation means a lot to us, and we hope that this time, the title will be ours.
“Personally, I feel happy and proud to participate in the Intercontinental Cup,” added El-Shahat. “You’re surrounded by incredible players, whether team-mates or opponents. I’m thrilled to be part of this experience.”
Al-Ahly arrived to Doha earlier in the week and had the chance to take in Pachuca’s impressive outing against the Copa Libertadores winners. El-Shahat came away impressed by what he saw from the Concacaf champions and knows that a ferocious 90 minutes will be on the docket.
“Pachuca is a strong team, having eliminated the South American champion,” said El-Shahat according to the FIFA official website.
“We watched their match against Botafogo, where they delivered a high-level performance and scored three goals in just 30 minutes.
“Personally, I expected Pachuca to qualify since Botafogo was relatively fatigued due to travel and a congested schedule, which is hard to manage. We respect Pachuca and will play with full focus to secure a win and reach the final, as our ambition is to claim both titles (Challenger Cup and Intercontinental Cup),” El-Shahat added.
Already in his storied career, El-Shahat has had the privilege of facing some of the world’s biggest clubs on a FIFA stage.
He has taken on Real Madrid twice, first in the final of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2018 as a member of Al-Ain, and then with Al-Ahly at the FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2022, where they were within a goal of the Spanish titans until a late spurt resulted in a 4-1 defeat.
There was also a narrow 2-0 loss to Bayern Munich at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
But no matter the opponent, the opportunity to play against the champions of each continent is something El-Shahat does not take for granted.
“I’m proud to be the player with the most appearances in the Intercontinental Cup during my career,’ said El-Shahat.
“Competing in this tournament as a continental champion and facing incredible stars in massive clubs like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Palmeiras—whom we’ve faced before—is a great honour,” he noted.
“All these teams are giants and have players passionate about football, eager to give their all on the pitch. I love playing in the Intercontinental Cup because you face top-level teams that love to attack, giving us opportunities to find spaces, attack as well, so playing exciting matches.”
