Al Ahly’s hopes of progressing in the Club World Cup took a hit on Thursday after a 2-0 defeat to Palmeiras in their second Group match.
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The first half was evenly contested. Palmeiras threatened early through 17-year-old Estevao, while Al Ahly’s most dangerous moment came from a deflected strike by Marwan Attia. A controversial moment saw Rafael Veiga initially shown a straight red for a challenge on Zizo, but the decision was downgraded to a yellow after VAR review.
The two goals came in the second half before a suspension due to poor weather conditions, with Wessam Abou Ali turning the ball into his own net early in the second half before Jose Lopez sealed the win for the Brazilian side.
The newly appointed Red Devils manager, Jose Riveiro, made four changes once play resumed, introducing Mohamed Magdy Afsha, Achraf Bencharki, Ahmed Ramadan, and Nejc Gradisar.
However, despite the injection of fresh legs and late attempts, including a powerful strike from Bencharki, Al Ahly failed to find a breakthrough.
The Egyptian champion remain winless against Brazilian teams in Club World Cup history, a streak that began with Internacional in 2006 and includes defeats to Corinthians, Flamengo, Fluminense, and now Palmeiras for a second time.
The result leaves the Cairo giants on one point from two games, while Palmeiras temporarily top the group with four points, pending the outcome of Inter Miami vs. Porto.