Wayne Lumbasi
Africa’s hopes of reaching a third Club World Cup final were dashed on Wednesday after Real Madrid of Europe defeated Al Ahly of Egypt 4-1 in the semifinal.
In the first half, Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior scored the game’s first goal. Valverde extended Real’s lead just after the break, tapping into an empty net after the goalkeeper had palmed away Rodrygo’s point-blank strike.
Vinicius twice wasted opportunities to extend the lead and Al Ahly received a lifeline when Eduardo Camavinga tripped Hussein El Shahat inside the area in the 65th minute and defender Ali Maaloul tucked away the penalty.
Afsha missed a sitter from close-range that would have been the equaliser for Al Ahly and although Real’s Luka Modric missed a penalty three minutes from the end of the game, Rodrygo and substitute Arribas completed a comfortable win in stoppage time with close-range strikes.
Madrid will face Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal, who beat Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo, in Saturday’s final. Real Madrid are the favourites to win the tournament, as they aim for a fifth title in the competition.
