Al Ahly advance to Club World Cup semis

A superb goal from Mohamed Hany has given Al Ahly a 1-0 victory over Monterrey and a spot in the Club World Cup semi-finals.

A depleted Al Ahly have several players unavailable for the tournament due to their Africa Cup of Nations commitments with finalists Egypt and it was evident as Monterrey, of Mexico, dominated possession and had several attempts on goal in the first half.

However, that did not stop Al Ahly from taking the lead in spectacular fashion through wing back Hany in the 53rd minute.

The 26-year-old was the first to pounce on a parry from goalkeeper Esteban Andrada and he fired a fierce shot from the edge of the box that split the Monterrey defence and found the back of the net to send the crowd at the Al Nahyan Stadium in Abu Dhabi into raptures.

Al Ahly will play Brazilian side Palmeiras in the last four at the same venue on Tuesday.

The two clubs met in the third-place playoff in the 2020 edition which the Egyptian side won on penalties after a goalless draw.

The 2021 Club World Cup was originally scheduled to be held in Japan last year but that was scrapped due to the COVID-19 situation in the country, with FIFA awarding hosting rights to the United Arab Emirates.

In the other half of the draw, European champions Chelsea on Wednesday will face the winner of Sunday's showdown between Al-Hilal and Al Jazira for a spot in the final.