Halfway through the Egyptian domestic league, Ahli are as usual on top of the table, reports Ahmed Morsy BARCELONA maestro Lionel Messi scored a remarkable extra-time winner to help his side to a hard-fought 2-1 win over Estudiantes de La Plata in the 2009 Club World Cup final on Saturday. The victory gave Barca their sixth successive title under Josep Guardiola, who led the European champions to the maximum number of trophies this year. After Pedro had sent the final of the UAE 2009 into extra time with an 89th- minute equaliser, the Argentinean maestro appeared in the right place at the right time once more to deny compatriots Estudiantes and secure his side's sixth trophy of a miraculous year. Mauro Boselli headed Estudiantes in front on 37 minutes, but Pedro Rodriguez equalised one minute from time after heading home from close range. In the 110th minute, Golden Ball winner Messi incredibly chested a Daniel Alves cross into the net to wrap up the victory and end the year in the best possible way for the Catalans. Guardiola's men eventually translated their domination into goals when Rodriguez hit a late equaliser to send the game into extra-time, before Messi scored again. Earlier this year, Barcelona won the UEFA Champions League, Primera Liga, Copa del Rey, Spanish Super Cup and European Super Cup. The FIFA Technical Study Group (TSG) elected the Barcelona superstar Messi as the best player of the FIFA Club World Cup UAE 2009, presenting him with the adidas Golden Ball and the Toyota Award previously seized by Edilson, Rogerio Ceni, Deco, Kaka and Wayne Rooney. "Winning six titles in a row was unthinkable. I didn't think I'd be strong enough to do that," Guardiola was quoted as saying on the club's official website. "There have been a lot of factors involved: very few injuries, a group of players that play because they enjoy it, mental strength... "We all have the right to feel happy, and I congratulate all the people who love Barca. This was for them." Messi expressed his happiness after the victory and said on the FIFA website: "I'm extremely happy. We've just ended a historic year, a perfect year in which we've won every competition we've played in. We just needed to take this last step and everything worked out how we wanted. It's amazing. It's difficult to put into words." "There's no other side that has achieved what we have this year." Earlier in the day, South Korea's Pohang Steelers beat Mexican side Atlante on penalties to finish third in the Club World Cup, being played in the United Arab Emirates for the first time.
