Al Ahly came just short in the Cairo club's attempt to reach the final of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup after a dramatic penalty kick shootout defeat to Mexico's Pachuca following a 0-0 semifinal draw. After a close match throughout it appeared Ahly had the match won when Pachuca missed their first two penalty kicks in the shootout but Ahly crumbled under the pressure, allowing the Mexican club to win and confirm their place in the final against Real Madrid.
The teams were evenly matched throughout but it was the Egyptian giants who got off to the more positive start. A long range shot from Taher Mohamed inside fifteen minutes tested Pachuca goalkeeper Carlos Moreno but he was able to gather the ball before trouble arrived.
Pachuca's dynamic duo, Venezuelan striker Solomón Rondón and Moroccan playmaker Oussama Idrissi, created issues for the Ahly defense with Rondón firing over after Iddrisi's blocked shot attempt in the 23rd minute. However the teams cancelled each other out for long stretches and both defenses were well organized to keep the match scoreless at full time.
Extra time created some opportunities with Ahly substitute Kahraba failing to finish after an excellent pass from Percy Tau in the second half. Penalty kicks were needed and it appeared that Pachuca lost their composure at a crucial moment. Rondón had his spot kick saved by Ahly goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy and Spanish striker Borja Bastón blasted his effort over the ball on Pachuca's second attempt.
Pachuca converted their next two kicks and Ahly dramatically failed on their fourth and fifth attempts with Kahraba's attempt saved and Omar Kamal missing wide. Both teams converted consecutive spot kicks until the eighth round when Khaled Abdel Fattah rattled the crossbar to confirm victory for Pachuca.
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