Despite dominating the first quarter-final in Tokyo, Mexico's Pachuca were eventually undone 1-0 late by a patient and sturdy Etoile Sportive du Sahel of Tunisia in the World Club Championship in football. Damian Alvarez created the first chance of note for the Tuzos, scorching forward in minute 14 to force a corner. Juan Carlos Cacho nodded off the crossbar from the resulting Christian Gimenez set piece and Gabriel Caballero's try was cleared off the line. Though the first half ended scoreless and with Pachuca in complete control, the Tunisians headed into the locker-room with some reason for optimism after a pair of chances from teenage sensation Mohamed Amine Chermiti had Colombian keeper Miguel Calero looking nervous. Etoile came out with a greater sense of purpose after the restart, but Pachuca kept up the pressure and even had a goal disallowed for offside. However, with just five minutes left to play, the African champions made the Mexicans pay for their profligacy in front of goal. On the end of a nifty counter- attack, Ghanaian Moussa Narry caught a wicked deflection off Leobardo Lopez to see his 35- yard shot slip past Calero and seal a semi-final place for Sahel. The Tunisians will hope to keep up the form when they meet rampaging favourites and champions of South America, Boca Juniors of Buenos Aires, on 12 December. The Tunisians believe that they can go all the way and have been preparing for the tournament meticulously. Nearly 10 days before their opening game against Mexican side Pachuca, the African champions headed off to the Korea Republic for pre-tournament training. There they were able to get used to the conditions (as well as the eight-hour time difference) and play a friendly against a local team. "My players have all been really focusing on Japan for the last few days now and on the match against Pachuca," said Etoile's French coach Bertrand Marchand before the match. "They all reckon that they can beat the Mexicans and set up a tie with the mighty Boca Juniors in the next round. If my team can recreate the standards they set in the Champions League final, I know that we'll be capable of a big result." Etoile upset defending Egyptian champions Ahli 3-1 in Cairo following a 0-0 draw in Sousse in the first leg.
