Sundowns beat Al Ahli to advance in Inter Continental Cup
Sundowns advance to a match against either Toluca of Mexico or the Copa Libertadores.
Pretoria, September 19 (Reuters) – African champions Mamelodi Sundowns overcame their Asian rivals Al Ahli of Saudi Arabia 2-1 in the Inter-Continental Cup on Saturday. The Portuguese import Nuno Santos scored twice, giving Sundowns the edge to advance in the annual competition for the six confederation champions. The match was played at Loftus Versfeld, with Santos putting his side ahead in the 17th minute.
However, the lead was short-lived, as goalkeeper Ronwen Williams saved a close-range attempt from Saudi striker Feras, only for the ball to hit Williams and enter the goal. Santos sealed the victory with a diving header nine minutes from time, expressing his delight at being presented with such a scoring opportunity. Al Ahli, featuring England international Ivan Toney, had several promising first-half chances, but they failed to capitalize.
The Inter-Continental Cup final, scheduled for December, will feature holders Paris St Germain. FIFA has yet to disclose the dates and venue for the remaining three matches of the tournament, which were hosted in Qatar last year.
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