Asian champions Ittihad Jeddah qualified to the Club World Championship (CWC) semi-finals after edging African counterparts Ahli of Egypt 1-0 on Sunday. Ittihad skipper Mohamed Nour headed home a 77th minute winner to end the Egyptian champion's 55-match unbeaten run. The Saudi powerhouse qualified to face Brazilian side Sao Paulo in the CWC final four stage on Thursday. Ahli will play the loser from the first round match between FC Sydney and Deportivo Saprissa to determine the fifth place winner on Wednesday. The Egyptian champions began the game with all guns blazing and nearly broke the deadlock in the 6th minute. Defender Ahmed El-Sayed met Mohamed Barakat's corner-kick with a first-time volley that went only inches wide.
Abou-Treika did nothing to help Ahli Ahli squandered another chance to take the lead seven minutes later when striker Emad Meteb pounced on a clearance from Ittihad's defense and fired a low drive into goalkeeper Mabrouk Zayed's body. The Egyptians continued to dominate until late in the first-half when Ittihad regained control of the match. The match went in one direction from there on as Ittihad launched wave after wave of offensives on Essam El-Hadari's goal. El-Hadari saved Ahli's blushes on several occasions until he was beaten by a brilliant play in the 77th minute. The Egypt goalkeeper's only mistake of the game cost his team severely as he mis-timed his exit to meet an Ahmed Al-Doukhi cross that Nour buried home from close range. Ahli pushed forward in search of an equalizer in the dying minutes of the game but were kept at bay by the fortified Ittihad defense who held on for the precious win.
