TOKYO - Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad beat Al Ahly 1-0 in the opening match of the club world soccer championship yesterday, ending the Egyptian club's 55-match unbeaten run in the process.
Ittihad captain Mohammed Noor pounced on a bad error from goalkeeper Essam El Hadary in the 78th minute, poking
the ball home to set up a semifinal with Brazil's Sao Paulo.
"It will be difficult for us to play Sao Paulo," said Ittihad's Romanian coach, Anghel Iordanescu.
"But we hope this victory will give us more power and more confidence."
Ittihad's victory ended Al Ahly's remarkable run in all competitions dating back to July last year.
The Saudis dominated after the break in freezing conditions in Tokyo, with striker Mohammed Kallon forcing a smart block from El Hadary. But the keeper flapped at a cross from Ittihad right-back Ahmed Al Dosari soon after, giving Noor the simplest of finishes.
There was no sign of ill-feeling among the players despite the war of words that erupted between the clubs in the build-up to the match.
Ittihad were angered after a formal protest from Ahly led to three players from the Asian champions being ruled ineligible for the tournament by the sport's world governing body, Fifa.
"After Fifa informed us, the players were mentally down and the biggest problem was to lift them," Iordanescu said.
Ahly manager Manuel Jose took defeat philosophically.
"After 55 games we had to lose one day. Today was the wrong moment to lose but life is like that."
- REUTERS
