Al Ahly v Al Ain: Cairo giants one step away from facing Real Madrid in Intercontinental Cup final

Goals from Wessam Abou Ali, Emam Ashour and Mohamed Afsha secured a comfortable 3-0 victory for Al Ahly at the Cairo International Stadium

Al Ahly's Emam Ashour celebrates after scoring his team's second goal against Al Ain in the 3-0 Intercontinental Cup second-round victory at Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday, October 29, 2024. AFP

Al Ahly's Emam Ashour celebrates with manager Marcel Koller after scoring his team's second goal. AFP

Al Ahly's Wessam Ali, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal. AFP

Al Ahly's Wessam Ali celebrates after scoring their first goal against Al Ain. Reuters

Al Ain's Yahia Nader tangles with Al Ahly's Wessam Ali. Reuters

Al Ain's Fabio Cardoso in action with Al Ahly's Wessam Ali. Reuters

Al Ahly's Emam Ashour tackles Al Ain's Mohamed Abbas. Reuters

Al Ain coach Hernan Crespo during the match. Reuters

Al Ahly's Taher Mohamed in action with Al Ain's Bandar Al Ahbabi. Reuters

Al Ahly's Akram Tawfik battles for the ball with Al Ain's Soufiane Rahimi. AFP

Al Ain's Matias Palacios closes down Al Ahly's Akram Tawfik. AFP

Al Ahly fans at Cairo International Stadium. AFP

Al Ahly coach Marcel Koller thanked supporters for their support as the Cairo giants moved a step closer to a dream Intercontinental Cup final against Real Madrid after overwhelming Asian champions Al Ain 3-0.

Goals from Wessam Abou Ali, Emam Ashour and Mohamed Afsha secured a comfortable victory for the hosts over the Emirati club at Cairo International Stadium.

They will next face either Mexico's Pachuca or the winners of Libertadores Cup in the semi-final in Doha on December 14. The winner of that match will then challenge Real Madrid for the Intercontinental title at Lusail Stadium on December 18.

"Our meticulous preparation paid off, and I commend the players for their good performance," Koller told reporters.

"The fans provided unwavering support, the players executed the tactics flawlessly, and each member of the team gave their all, making this victory well-deserved."

Since his arrival at Ahly in September 2022, the 63-year-old Swiss coach has amassed an impressive collection of eleven trophies with the Red Devils, including two Egyptian Premier League titles, two Egypt Cups, two CAF Champions League titles, four Egyptian Super Cups. Victory over Al Ain also saw Ahly win the African-Asian-Pacific Cup.

"I now have eleven titles under my belt with Ahly," Koller proudly boasted.

Al Ahly dominated proceedings at Cairo International Stadium from the start. In the 32nd minute, Yahia Nader's careless back pass was intercepted by Palestinian striker Abou Ali, who calmly slotted the ball past Al Ain goalkeeper Khalid Eisa.

After the break, Ashour showcased his skill with a stunning volley to double Al Ahly's lead. Hernan Crespo responded by introducing Matias Segovia, but Al Ain struggled to create any significant scoring opportunities against a resolute Al Ahly defence led by Rami Rabia.

Late in the game, Kamal was fouled in the box, and Afsha converted the penalty to seal the 3-0 victory.

The win comes less than a week after Ahly clinched the Egyptian Super Cup in Abu Dhabi, beating arch rivals Zamalek on penalties.

"While our aim is to win every match, the path is not always smooth. Nevertheless, we are committed to giving our best efforts to reach the final," Koller said.