Miami? Habibi this is Cairo

Al Ahly fans took over Miami but the Red Devils couldn't beat Messi's Inter Miami

I never thought I’d encounter African football in a Chick-Fil-A of all places.

And yet there I was, eating lunch at the fast food restaurant in Hallandale, Miami, five hours ahead of the opening match of the Club World Cup.

And in walks a family wearing the proud colours of the Red Devils. Originally from Egypt, they’d moved to Indiana where they’d lived in for the past eight years. And yet they’d driven from the Midwest all the way to Miami, Parents, three kids and even grandma, all wearing the Al Ahly kit.

Next, they’ll be travelling to New York to watch Al Ahly’s final two group games of the tournament.

Not a Miami shirt in sight, but within just a few kilometres of the stadium there were already Al Ahly fans galore, travelling from Cairo, Dubai, Delaware and virtually anywhere else Egyptians live.

When I entered the stadium a few hours before kick off there was already a queue of a few thousand fans, most of whom were in red and not pink.

When I asked John, who’d travelled from Egypt with his two friends, if he was surprised, he laughed.

“This is Al Ahly, this is what we do.”

That is what they do.

In the weeks ahead of the opening fixture there were reports galore that FIFA had failed to drum up support for the tournament and that the stadium might only be a third full. FIFA were so desperate for local fans to come watch Messi romp to victory that they were offering deals of 5 tickets for $20 (at the opening of tickets the cheapest on offer was going for over $200).

The stadium wasn’t empty; it was pretty much packed. But not with Inter Miami fans.

Instead, the stadium was full of the roar of Egyptians.

And they had plenty to roar about.

Most of the international media were focused on Messi, Suarez and David Beckham. So much was the coverage of Inter Miami that you would’ve assumed they were playing a village team, not the most successful team on a continent with vastly more pedigree than Inter Miami’s own.

But it was Al Ahly who came flying out the blocks. Content in their 4-3-2-1 defensive shape, they let Miami have possession, but virtually every time the Egyptians won possession they threatened. Emam Ashour was electric, constantly driving at the heart of the Inter defence and time and time again he found Wessam Abou Ali.

The Palestinian forward had one goal disallowed for offside, another he should have scored from offside and a third he was onside but couldn’t put it past eventual Man of the Match goalkeeper Oscar Ustari.

Ashour himself missed a brilliant chance. While Al Ahly fans were no doubt distraught with their talisman’s poor finishing, but they might forgive after realising he missed just a minute after breaking his collarbone, an injury that would force him to be subbed off in the 14^th minute.

Despite losing their star, Al Ahly continued to dominate and could have easily have scored three or four and that was before they won a penalty.

A lovely dummied shot from Ashour’s substitute Zizo drew a foul from a clumsy Talesco Segovia. Abou Ali initially picked up the ball but after a heated argument with Mahmoud Trezeguet, Abou Ali gave up the ball to the Egyptian making his second debut for the club.

Trezeguet’s penalty was a tame strike and an easy save for Ustari. It was a huge dissapointment, not only that he missed but that Trezeguet was allowed to take the penalty in the first place. Abou Ali is the designated taker and when you have players like Mohamed Ali Ben Romdhane and Zizo (both have excellent records from the spot), it’s crazy that Trezeguet even had the chance to miss.

Right on the stroke of half time, that save took the wind out of Al Ahly’s sail and handed Miami the initiative.

The second half was an entirely different game. While Al Ahly tired, Miami grew in confidence and a certain Lionel Mess started to influence the game. The maestro nearly scored from a trademark free kick that skimmed the outside of the post and he time and time again for pockets, the most dangerous of which was when he clipped in a delightful cross with his right foot that was headered from point blank range but it was Mohamed El Shenawy’s turn to put in a Man of the Match performance in nets.

The 36-year-old made a string of brilliant saves and particularly in added time, it was remarkable that Inter Miami couldn’t beat him.

It was a game that probably left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth.

Al Ahly should’ve won the game comfortably, but having survived the first half, Javier Mascherano will be furious his side didn’t win the game. And FIFA president will no doubt be fuming that he didn’t get the Messi winner that he had engineered, though maybe he was too busy playing with streamer IShowSpeed who was inconceivably sat in between Infantino and Ronaldo Nazario.

For Al Ahly they will have to be more ruthless. Inter Miami showed that they are likely the weakest side in the group and up next for the Egyptians are the group favourites Palmeiras from São Paolo.

There are plenty of encouragements to take from the game however, the greatest being the support that this team has, something that will only increase as they head to New Jersey, the home of the biggest diaspora of Egyptians in North America. Combined with the sensational travelling support that Palmeiras has, it has the potential to be the best supported game in the group stage.

We can’t wait!