Al Ahly fall to Pachuca on penalties in pre-Club World Cup friendly

Al Ahly were defeated in their first friendly match as part of the preparations for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States, losing 5-3 on penalties to Mexico’s Pachuca after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.

The match was held as part of the Challenge Super Cup, a friendly tournament that saw Pachuca lift the trophy following their shootout victory.

Pachuca opened the scoring in the 10th minute through John Kennedy, who capitalized on a one-on-one opportunity against Al Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy. Al Ahly responded in the second half when new signing Mahmoud Trezeguet equalized in the 51st minute with a composed finish following a very good solo effort.

The match marked the managerial debut of Spanish head coach Jose Riveiro, who took charge of Al Ahly for the first time.

Riveiro made the best use of his squad, giving minutes to 22 players including several summer signings such as Trezeguet, Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane, Ahmed Sayed “Zizo”, Ahmed Ramadan “Beckham” and Hamdi Fathi.

In the penalty shootout, Omar Kamal missed Al Ahly’s fourth kick, while Pachuca converted all five of their attempts to secure the win. This marks the second consecutive time Pachuca have overcome Al Ahly via a penalty shootout.

In December 2024, they defeated the Egyptian champions 6–5 on penalties after a 0–0 draw in the semifinals of the FIFA Challenger Cup, securing the trophy and a spot in the Intercontinental Cup final against Real Madrid. Thus, Pachuca have now beaten Al Ahly twice in a row on penalties, each time lifting a cup.

Al Ahly are now gearing up for their Club World Cup campaign, where they will kick off the tournament against Inter Miami on Sunday, June 15 at 12:00 AM GMT.

The Egyptian giants are drawn into Group A alongside Inter Miami (USA), Porto (Portugal), and Palmeiras (Brazil).

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