Al Ahly defeated Al Ain 3-0 in the FIFA African-Asian-Pacific Cup, propelling them one step closer to a dream FIFA Intercontinental Cup™ final against Real Madrid.
The Cairo Giants will now face either Pachuca or the CONMEBOL Libertadores champions in the FIFA Intercontinental semi-final at Stadium 974 in Doha on December 14. The winner of that match will then challenge Real Madrid for the Intercontinental title at Lusail Stadium on December 18.
Al Ahly dominated proceedings at Cairo International Stadium from the start. In the 32nd minute, Yahia Nader's careless backpass was intercepted by Wessam Abou Ali, who calmly slotted the ball past Khalid Eisa.
After the break, Emam Ashour showcased his skill with a stunning volley to double Al Ahly's lead. Hernan Crespo responded by introducing Matias Segovia, but Al Ain struggled to create any significant scoring opportunities against a resolute Al Ahly defense led by Rami Rabia.
Late in the game, Omar Kamal was fouled in the box, and Mohamed Afsha converted the penalty to seal the 3-0 victory.
McLaren's Lando Norris swept to victory in a wet and wild Australian Grand Prix on Sunday, holding off defending champion Max Verstappen in a white-knuckle finish to a Formula One season-opener littered with crashes and safety cars.
Manchester City could only muster a 2-2 Premier League draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, dropping points in a blow to their hopes of playing European football next season.
After struggling with setup issues through Australian Grand Prix practice, Max Verstappen was surprised by his Red Bull car's performance on Saturday as the Formula One defending champion took third place in qualifying for the season-opening race.
Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva beat defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-6(1) 1-6 6-3 on Friday to reach the Indian Wells final where she will face top seed Aryna Sabalenka, who avenged her Australian Open final loss to Madison Keys with a 6-0 6-1 rout.
The Formula 1 season kicks off in Australia this weekend, setting the stage for a championship battle that will unfold across 24 races before reaching its conclusion at the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (December 4-7) at Yas Marina Circuit.