Pachuca defeats Al Ahly on penalties and will face Real Madrid in the Intercontinental Cup final

Pachuca won the Challenge Cup after defeating Al Ahly 6-5 in a penalty shootout, following a goalless draw in regular and extra time at the 974 Stadium in Doha, Qatar. This victory marked Pachuca’s second title in the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, adding to their Derby of the Americas trophy, and denied Al Ahly a chance to face Real Madrid in the final next Wednesday at Lusail Stadium.

In the first half, Al Ahly was the more active team, generating multiple opportunities with long-range efforts from Emam Ashour, Taher Mohamed, Marwan Attia, and Omar Kamal. Carlos Moreno, Pachuca’s goalie, was aware of these attempts, though, and Taher Mohamed missed the greatest chance in the 36th minute.

Pachuca struggled to find their rhythm early on, with Solomon Rondon and Osama Al Idrissi missing key chances. The first half was extended by six minutes due to injuries to Al Ahly’s players.

The second half saw both teams continue to search for the opening goal, but neither could break the deadlock. Both teams came close in extra time, but Mahmoud Kahraba and Angel Mina missed good chances. Al Ahly was heartbreakingly eliminated from the tournament when the game finally came down to penalties, which Pachuca won after missing their opening two kicks.