Mexican club Pachuca claimed the Challenge Cup by defeating Al Ahly 6-5 in a penalty shootout, following a goalless draw at the 974 Stadium in Doha, Qatar.
Pachuca secured their second Intercontinental Cup title after winning the Derby of the Americas Cup, while Al Ahly’s dream of facing Real Madrid in next Wednesday’s final at Lusail Stadium was dashed. Al Ahly had to settle for the Africa, Asia, and Pacific Cup title, and were also unable to avenge their 2-4 loss to Pachuca in the 2008 Club World Cup.
Al-Ahly were the more aggressive and lively side in the first half, with players like Omar Kamal Abdel-Wahed, Taher Mohamed Taher, Marawan Attia, and Imam Ashour attempting several long-range shots.
Carlos Moreno, the goalkeeper for Pachuca, was quick to react to these attempts, denying Al-Ahly’s shots. However, Taher Mohamed Taher missed the best chance in the 36th minute, sending his shot over the bar.
Pachuca struggled to find their rhythm early on, with Solomon Rondon squandering a promising opportunity in the 23rd minute. Osama Al-Idrissi also sent a shot over the bar, while Luis Rodriguez’s attempt was comfortably collected by Al-Ahly’s goalkeeper, Mohamed El-Shennawy.
The first half was extended by about six minutes due to multiple stoppages for treatment, including for Akram Tawfik and Taher Mohamed, who were injured following rough challenges from Pachuca players. Imam Ashour also received treatment for a cut to his lip.
In the second half, both teams exchanged attacking attempts, but neither could find the back of the net. Hussein El Shahat of Al-Ahly had a couple of ineffective shots, while Yahya Attiyat Allah missed a golden opportunity, shooting over the bar in the 60th minute.
Pachuca responded with efforts from Nelson Dioza and Angel Mina, though their attempts were off target. Al-Ahly’s goalkeeper, Mohamed El-Shennawy, remained sharp, stopping two shots from Idrissi and Dioza in the final 10 minutes.
To shake things up, Al-Ahly coach Marcel Koller made four substitutions, bringing on Mahmoud Kahraba, Afsha, Khaled Abdel Fattah, and Percy Tau. Despite the changes, the match remained deadlocked, forcing the game into two extra halves after the goalless draw.
In the first half of extra time, both teams came close to breaking the deadlock. Angel Mina missed a dangerous chance in the 8th minute, while Al-Ahly’s Afsha responded with a weak shot that was easily gathered by Pachuca’s goalkeeper.
In the 15th minute, Kahraba had a golden opportunity to score but missed a one-on-one chance, firing the ball straight into the goalkeeper’s body after a well-timed pass from Percy Tau.
The pace slowed significantly in the second extra time, and Al-Ahly was unable to capitalize on their corner kicks. Pachuca threatened again in the 119th minute with a header from Rondon that went just over the bar, and Afsha responded with a more dangerous shot in the 122nd minute.
When it came to penalty kicks, Pachuca emerged victorious, despite missing their first two attempts. Al-Ahly’s hopes of winning the title were dashed in a heartbreaking end to the match.
