Mexican club Pachuca won the Challenger Cup on Saturday, defeating Egypt’s Al Ahly 6-5 in a penalty shootout after a goalless semi-final at Stadium 974 in Doha. The victory earned Pachuca a place in the prestigious FIFA Intercontinental Cup final, where they will face Spanish giants Real Madrid on Wednesday.
The match saw both teams struggle to break the deadlock, with Al Ahly holding a slight advantage in possession and testing Pachuca’s goalkeeper five times, compared to just three attempts by the Mexican side. The penalty shootout proved tense, with four spot kicks missed, including an early miss by Pachuca’s Salomon Rondon. The decisive moment came when Al Ahly’s Khaled Abdel Fattah hit the crossbar, allowing Pachuca to claim victory.
“It was difficult, very complicated, especially because of the marathon game we played today,” said Pachuca’s coach, Guillermo Almada. “We’ll try to get the players back on their feet and go into the final with all the motivation in the world.”
The final will be held at Lusail Stadium, which hosted the 2022 World Cup final, and will see Pachuca aim to continue their strong year, following their Concacaf Champions Cup win earlier in June.
A crowd of 38,841 spectators attended the match at Stadium 974, which was constructed using shipping containers for the 2022 World Cup as part of Qatar’s sustainability goals.
