Palmeiras tightened their grip on Group A at the FIFA Club World Cup with a clinical 2-0 victory over Egypt’s Al Ahly, capitalising on second-half errors in a contest disrupted by dramatic weather, VAR intervention, and a near hour-long lightning delay.

The Brazilian giants, coached by the experienced Abel Ferreira, now sit atop the group with four points and need only a draw against Inter Miami in their final match to secure a quarter-final spot. Al Ahly, by contrast, must defeat Porto on Tuesday and hope other results go their way to stay alive in the competition.

The match opened with promise for the Egyptians, who began brightly under a rumbling New Jersey sky. Trezeguet and Attiyat Allah whipped in dangerous crosses early on, while defender Yasser Ibrahim denied teenage sensation Estêvão with a crucial block after the Chelsea-bound winger weaved through the defence.

Palmeiras were largely conservative in the first half, absorbing pressure and launching quick counterattacks. Estêvão came close to scoring with a dazzling solo run, narrowly missing the target.

The first flashpoint arrived ten minutes before the break when Raphael Veiga, celebrating his birthday, was shown a straight red card by English referee Anthony Taylor for a high tackle on Zizo. However, a VAR review downgraded the punishment to a yellow, much to Al Ahly’s frustration.

Ferreira reshuffled his pack at the interval, bringing on José “Flaco” López and Mauricio—and the changes paid off almost immediately. Four minutes into the second half, a teasing free-kick from Aníbal Moreno was inadvertently glanced into his own net by Al Ahly striker Wissam Abou Ali, who had tracked back to defend.

The North African side barely had time to recover before they conceded again. A swift Palmeiras counterattack saw left-back Joaquín Piquerez break free and square for López, who made no mistake with a cool finish into the far corner to double the lead in the 59th minute.

Moments later, lightning strikes in the area forced officials to suspend the match for 55 minutes, offering Al Ahly an unexpected reprieve.

Manager Jose Riveiro introduced Ashraf Bencharki, Ahmed Ramadan and Afsha in a desperate bid to claw back into the game. Bencharki came closest to scoring, testing Weverton with a stinging drive and later heading wide when unmarked.

Palmeiras, chasing a ninth clean sheet in 12 matches, held firm with commanding displays from centre-backs Gustavo Gómez and Murilo. El Shenawy, Al Ahly’s captain, prevented a heavier defeat with a superb save from Moreno’s free-kick, while Paulinho squandered a late chance to make it 3-0.

With Palmeiras now two points ahead of both Porto and Inter Miami—who face off later tonight—the Brazilian champions are in pole position. Meanwhile, Al Ahly remain rooted at the bottom with just one point and no goals scored from two matches on American soil.

For the thousands of African fans who lit up Times Square in red earlier this week, the path is clear but steep: beat Porto and hope Palmeiras complete the job against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami.

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Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe has been hospitalised after suffering from a severe bout of gastroenteritis during the ongoing FIFA Club World Cup, the Spanish club confirmed in an official statement on Thursday.

“Our player Kylian Mbappe is suffering from an acute case of gastroenteritis and has been admitted to the hospital in order to undergo a series of tests and follow the appropriate course of treatment,” the club announced.

Gastroenteritis is often called the stomach flu. It is inflammation of the stomach and intestines, usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection. It’s characterised by symptoms like diarrhoea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and nausea

Mbappe was notably absent during Real Madrid’s opening group stage match against Saudi Arabian champions Al-Hilal, which ended in a 1-1 draw on Wednesday. According to a club source quoted by Reuters, the French forward had been isolated from the rest of the squad since Tuesday and was taken to the hospital the following day.

With his condition still being monitored, Mbappe is expected to miss the remainder of the group stage, including Real Madrid’s crucial clash against Mexico’s Pachuca on Sunday in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Head coach Xabi Alonso had hinted after Wednesday’s match that the 26-year-old forward was unlikely to feature in the team’s next fixture, further raising concerns about his availability for the tournament’s later stages.

Mbappe’s absence is a significant blow to the Spanish giants, who are aiming to reclaim the Club World Cup title and extend their record as the most successful team in the tournament’s history.

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Real Who? Bounou puts on a clinic as Al Hilal holds the Spanish giants, Real Madrid.  Yassine Bounou was nothing short of sensational for Al Hilal as he pulled off a string of jaw-dropping saves to help his side earn a dramatic 1-1 draw against Real Madrid in their FIFA Club World Cup showdown.

He emerged as the standout performer for Al Hilal on a dramatic night at the FIFA Club World Cup, producing a string of superb saves to earn his side a 1-1 draw against Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The Moroccan international, widely known as “Bono,” was the difference-maker on a night when Madrid piled on the pressure. Time and again, he stood tall to deny clear-cut chances from the Spanish side, keeping Al Hilal in the fight.

But the real highlight came right at the death.

In the 90th minute, after a tense VAR review, Real Madrid were handed a penalty. Federico Valverde stepped up, confident as ever. But Bounou had other plans—first saving the initial strike and then blocking the rebound in stunning fashion. It was the kind of moment that instantly becomes Club World Cup folklore.

Back in April, Bounou had spoken to FIFA about his excitement ahead of the tournament and how much he was looking forward to facing Real Madrid again.

“I’ve faced a lot of great teams throughout my career, and I’m privileged that Real Madrid is one of them. It’s a great honour to do it again wearing the Al Hilal shirt,” he said.

Having played in Spain for years, Bounou is no stranger to Los Blancos.

“I have many friends in the team, and I’ve always met their fans on the streets of Spain. I’ve always had mutual respect for the club and its supporters,” he added.

Well, after tonight’s performance, the respect surely went both ways. What a night for Bounou. What a night for Al Hilal.

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