'We will fight to go through': Ahly coach Riveiro ahead of FC Porto match

Ahly coach José Riveiro vowed on Sunday to do his best to keep his side’s hopes of advancing alive when they face FC Porto in the final Group-stage match of the ongoing Club World Cup.

Ahram Online , Sunday 22 Jun 2025,
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Al Ahly's Spanish head coach Jose Riveiro gestures during a press conference at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. AFP

 

The Cairo giants will be desperate for a win on Tuesday when they meet Portuguese side FC Porto, with both teams set to conclude their group campaigns.

For Ahly to progress, they also need Palmeiras, who lead the group on four points along with Inter Miami, to defeat the U.S. side.

Failure to win in that scenario would see the Egyptian champions eliminated early.

"We are focused on the game against FC Porto," Riveiro told reporters in a pre-match press conference on Sunday. "We still have a chance, and we will fight to keep that chance alive."

"We are a big team with a great history. That is our identity."

"We came here to compete, and we will fight," the Spanish coach added.

Riveiro believes his team deserved better results in their opening two matches, which included a goalless draw against Inter Miami and a 2-0 defeat to Palmeiras.

He pointed to strong individual performances, particularly in the first half against Miami, and a dominant spell against Palmeiras, despite the loss.

"We did well against Inter Miami in the first half, but they dominated the second," he said. "Against Palmeiras, we were the better team for long periods of the game."

"I am happy with my players’ performance, and we will work hard to beat FC Porto."

The former Orlando Pirates coach emphasized that his focus remains on the available players, stating that the team is ready to face the challenges ahead despite several injuries.

Ahly will be without star midfielder Emam Ashour, who suffered a fractured collarbone, while winger Taher Mohamed will miss the game due to a muscle injury. Marwan Atteya is also unavailable, serving an automatic suspension.

“All available players are starters," Riveiro said. "That’s why we brought 28 players here."

“We’ve had some bad luck with Ashour’s injury, but we’re not thinking about the absent players. We will deal with the challenges and are ready to fight." he concluded

Find more details on group standingsmatch schedules, and competition statistics.

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Group A W D L P
Palmeiras
1 2 0 5
Inter Miami
1 2 0 5
Porto
0 2 1 2
Ahly
0 2 1 2
Group B W D L P
Paris SG
2 0 1 6
Botafogo
2 0 1 6
Atletico Madrid
2 0 1 6
Seattle Sounders
0 0 3 0
Group C W D L P
Benfica
2 1 0 7
Bayern Munich
2 0 1 6
Boca Juniors
0 2 1 2
Auckland City FC
0 1 2 1
Group D W D L P
Flamengo
2 1 0 7
Chelsea
2 0 1 6
Esperance
1 0 2 3
Los Angeles FC
0 1 2 1
Group E W D L P
Inter Milan
2 1 0 7
CF Monterrey
1 2 0 5
River Plate
1 1 1 4
Urawa Reds
0 0 3 0
Group F W D L P
Dortmund
2 1 0 7
Fluminense
1 2 0 5
Mamelodi Sundowns
1 1 1 4
Ulsan HD
0 0 3 0
Group G W D L P
Manchester City
3 0 0 9
Juventus
2 0 1 6
Al-Ain
1 0 2 3
Wydad
0 0 3 0
Group H W D L P
Real Madrid
2 1 0 7
Al-Hilal
1 2 0 5
RB Salzburg
1 1 1 4
Pachuca
0 0 3 0