Israel’s Under-20 team has secured a commendable third-place finish in the World Cup, defeating South Korea 3-1 in a thrilling match.
Omer Senior and Anan Khalaili proved to be the heroes for Israel, finding the net in the final 14 minutes of the game at La Plata’s Diego Maradona stadium. This victory marked Israel’s first appearance in the tournament, concluding their remarkable campaign on a high note.
Israel, having previously stunned Brazil in the quarterfinals, experienced a setback when Uruguay halted their progress in the semi-finals on Friday. However, they quickly recovered from the disappointment and took the lead in the third-place play-off after just 20 minutes. Midfielder Ran Binyamin struck a powerful shot to put Israel ahead.
South Korea, which knocked Nigeria’s U20 team out of the competition, responded swiftly, equalising four minutes later from the penalty spot, as Seung-Won Lee converted their opportunity. In the second half, Israel dominated proceedings, and they came close to taking the lead when Senior had a goal disallowed for offside with 20 minutes remaining.
Nevertheless, their perseverance paid off as Senior found the back of the net six minutes later. Khalaili sealed the victory for Israel with four minutes left on the clock and received a yellow card for removing his shirt during the celebration.
Al Ahly Clinches 11th CAF Champions League Trophy With 1-1 Draw Against Wydad
Al Ahly clinched the prestigious 2022/2023 CAF Champions League title by securing a 1-1 draw against Wydad Casablanca at Stade Mohamed V in Morocco, on Sunday evening.
The Egyptian powerhouse extended their record with an 11th African continental championship triumph, prevailing 3-2 on aggregate after a 2-1 victory in the first leg held in Cairo, last weekend. The encounter in Casablanca was marred by confrontations, time-wasting, and simulation, tarnishing the overall display of football.
Those moments aside, Wydad started the match on an attacking note, launching several probing assaults in the opening 15 minutes. However, their efforts failed to trouble Al Ahly’s goalkeeper, Mohamed El Shenawy, significantly. The visitors, on the other hand, sought opportunities on the counterattack, utilising the speed and agility of Mahmoud Kahraba and Percy Tau. Nonetheless, they struggled to gather the momentum they had anticipated.
Nevertheless, two instances of brilliance brought goals for Wydad’s Yahia Attiyat Allah and Al Ahly’s Mohamed Abdelmonem. Abdelmonem’s strike in the dying moments of regulation time proved to be the decisive moment of the tie.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
