Al Ahly advanced to the FIFA Club World Cup semis with a 1-0 win over Monterrey.
Right-back Mohamed Hani fired the winner eight minutes into the second half, with Ahly putting on a solid defensive display and proving dangerous on breakaways.
Monterrey’s pressure did not pay dividends, with Ahly defeating the Concacaf champions on the third attempt after losing to them in the 2012 and 2013 Club World Cups, including a bitter 5-1 defeat.
Ahly set up a semi-final clash against South American champions Palmeiras in a re-match of their meeting in the third-place playoff last year.
The Red Devils beat the Brazilian giants on penalties following a 0-0 draw to win the bronze medal in Qatar.
Ahly missed more than a dozen of key players because of injury and Nations Cup commitments after FIFA had decided to go ahead with the Club World Cup despite the unusual overlap with another international tournament.
Egypt face Senegal in the Nations Cup final on Sunday, two days before Ahly meet Palmeiras. The club’s Egyptian internationals are expected to directly fly to Abu Dhabi following the final.
It’s the first time for Ahly, who are making a seventh appearance in the Club World Cup, to book a semi-final spot for the second time in a row.
They have done so despite fielding a youngster in defence and playing without an established striker, with Mohamed Sherif away on international duty and South African Percy Tau ruled out through injury.
