Benzema Misses Penalty as Al-Ittihad Fails to Impress Against Egypt’s Al Ahly and Loses the Chance to Face Manchester City in the Club World Cup
As Al Ittihad prepared to face Egypt’s Al Ahly in the Club World Cup semi-final contest, Yasser Al-Misehal, Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s President, felt it was the “perfect window” to demonstrate the Gulf nation’s rise in football standards.
However, it was not to be, as the Saudi Arabian champions struggled to impact the game.
In the 21st minute, Hassan Kadesh gave away a penalty when he handled the ball inside the box. Al-Ahly scored their first through Ali Maaloul, but the joy was shortlived as they conceded a penalty minutes later.
Benzema stepped up to take it, but Mohamed El Shenawy was proactive enough to save the penalty. Just before the hour mark, Husein El Shahat’s curled effort made it 2-0. A quick counterattack led to the third goal, with Emam Ashour responsible for piling on the misery.
A star-studded lineup that included World Cup winner N’Golo Kante, Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, and Champions League plus Club World Cup winner Fabinho failed to impress on the day. The stars could only manage a late Benzema consolation goal.
Having been kicked out of the Club World Cup, Al Ittihad will now have to focus on the faltering title race, being 19 points behind leaders Al-Hilal.
