Al Ahly and Porto exit CWC after eight goal thriller

Wessam Abou Ali of Al Ahly celebrates his goal against FC Porto during the first half of the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 match between Porto and Al Ahly in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, 23 June 2025. EPA/JUSTIN LANE

by Staff Reporter

Tuesday Jun 24, 2025. 11:00

Al Ahly and Porto were both bounced from the FIFA Club World Cup after a dramatic 4-4 draw at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Tuesday (3am CAT).

Both sides end their campaigns on two points from three games, while Inter Miami and Palmeiras will advance from group A having earned five points each.

Al Ahly struck first, ending their goal drought at the tournament through Wessam Abou Ali, who was played through by Hamdy Fathy on the counter-attack and found the bottom left corner in the 15th minute.

Porto responded in the 23rd minute as Rodrigo Mora dribbled beautifully through the Al Ahly box and around the goalkeeper to tuck the ball into the back of the net.

Fábio Vieira brought down Ahmed Sayed in the Porto box on the stroke of half time and Abou Ali converted the resulting penalty for his and Al Ahly’s second goal of the game.

The Egyptian side’s lead did not last long, as William Gomes drew Porto level in the 50th minute with a superb strike from the edge of the area in his first start for the club.

The game continued to go back and forth, with Al Ahly regaining the lead just a minute later as Abou Ali headed home a perfectly placed cross from Mohamed Hany to earn a hat-trick.

Porto drew level once more in the 53rd minute through substitute Samu Aghehowa, who headed home Vieira’s cross from his second goal of the tournament.

Mohamed Ben Romdhane restored Al Ahly’s lead in the 64th minute with a curling strike from the edge of the area that found the top right corner of the goal.

However, Porto would not admit defeat and equalised once more in the 89th minute, as substitute Pepê drilled the ball into the bottom left corner from well outside the box.

Porto (1) 4 (Mora 23’, Gomes 50’, Aghehowa 53’, Pepê 89’)

Al Ahly (2) 4 (Abou Ali 15’, 45+2’, 51’, Ben Romdhane 64’)

Porto: C. Ramos, J. Mário (M. Fernandes 62’), J. Pedro, I. Marcano, F. Moura, W. Gomes (Pepê 69’), A. Varela (G. Borges 46’), S. Eustáquio, F. Viera (G. Veiga 69’), D. Loader (S. Aghehowa 46’), R, Mora

Al Ahly: M. El Shenawy, A. Koka, A. Ramadan, A. Dari, M. Hany, H. Fathy (A. Dieng 35’), M. A. Ben Romdhane (M. Magdy 87’), Trézéguet (A. Bencharki 59’), A. Sayed, H. El Shahat (O. Kamal 59’), W. Abou Ali (N. Gradišar 58’)

By Nic Gleeson