Pachuca’s players celebrate after winning the FIFA Challenger Cup match against Egypt’s Al Ahly at Stadium 974 in Doha on Saturday.
Wessam Abou Ali (left) of Al Ahly and Andres Micolta of Pachuca vie for the ball at the 974 Stadium on Saturday. PICTURES: Noushad Thekkayil
Pachuca will face Real Madrid in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup final following their dramatic penalty shootout victory over Al Ahly in the FIFA Challenger Cup at the 974 Stadium in Doha on Saturday.Both sides had chances in the first period, with Pachuca goalkeeper Carlos Moreno called into action to stop Taher Mohamed’s low drive early on. Down the other end Oussama Idrissi, who was Player of The Match in the FIFA Derby of the Americas win over Botafogo earlier in the week, saw a shot blocked following a mazy run. Captain Salomon Rondon pounced on the rebound, but fired over.Both Idrissi and Nelson Deossa tested Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy in the second half with long-range efforts but couldn’t break through, meaning extra time would be required to try and find a winner.The best chance of the game came in the additional period, as Percy Tau set Mahmoud Kahraba through, but Moreno did well to tip aside his chipped attempt. Penalties would eventually decide the contest.Ahly took an early 2-0 lead in the shootout following misses from Pachuca’s Salomon Rondon and Borja Baston. With the score at 3-2, a sudden-death save by Moreno turned the tide, with two further Al Ahly misses as Mahmoud Kahraba and Omar Kamal failed to convert their spot-kicks, handing Pachuca a lifeline. Khaled Abdel-Fattah then struck the bar, denying Ahly a victory that seemed within grasp.In nine previous appearances in the Club World Cup, now revamped as the Intercontinental Cup, Ahly have claimed four bronze medals but never progressed beyond the semi-finals. Marcel Koller’s men will now set their sights on next summer’s Club World Cup.Pachuca midfielder Pedro Pedraza said his side were prepared on the penalty shootout and was excited to face Spanish heavyweights Real Madrid in the final on Wednesday at the Lusail Stadium.“We were prepared for that and more. I don’t think there’s a team that trains harder than us. We had practically lost everything, but trust is the last thing to die, and we trusted our squad, the players who were going to take the shots, and Carlos (Moreno), who became a key figure and truly deserved it. Thanks to him, we became champions. “It’s a dream, not just for us, but for the institution, the fans, and our families. We are going to face it in the best way possible.” said Pedraza.
Guillermo Almada, Pachuca coach on facing Real Madrid, said: “It’s going to be tough, very challenging, especially given the football marathon we endured today. Still, we’ll do our best to help the players recover and approach that match with all the motivation in the world.”