Porto and Al Ahly both suffered elimination from the Club World Cup following a pulsating 4-4 draw on Monday, widely regarded as the most thrilling encounter of the tournament so far.
The dramatic result at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium ultimately proved futile for both sides, as Palmeiras and Inter Miami’s earlier 2-2 draw secured them first and second place in Group A respectively, sealing Porto and Al Ahly’s exit from the competition.
Palestine international Abou Ali, who scored a superb hat-trick for the Egyptian champions, expressed bitter disappointment at the outcome. “I’m very sad, very very sad. I feel like we should have scored five or six goals — the opportunity was there to win the game,” he lamented.
Al Ahly seized the initiative after just 15 minutes when Abou Ali calmly slotted home a low strike past Porto keeper Claudio Ramos.
The Portuguese side, however, responded swiftly through their 18-year-old sensation Rodrigo Mora, who weaved his way through the Al Ahly defence before rounding the goalkeeper to level the scores.
Just before half-time, Abou Ali struck again from the penalty spot to restore Al Ahly’s advantage. But shortly after the interval, Williams Gomes unleashed a spectacular long-range effort to bring Porto level once more.
Barely a minute later, Abou Ali completed his hat-trick with a towering header, only for Porto to respond in kind within two minutes as Samu Aghehowa nodded in yet another equaliser, making it 3-3.
The Egyptian side regained the lead when Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane curled in a stunning strike from distance, but once again they were unable to hold on.
With just a minute remaining, veteran defender Pepe salvaged a point for Porto, heading home to complete the night’s remarkable scoreline. Despite the entertaining spectacle, Porto’s failure to progress beyond the group stage was seen as a significant upset for the Portuguese giants.
