Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli began the defence of their Asian Champions League crown with a disappointing draw on Monday, equalising deep in stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw with Uzbekistan's Pakhtakor in Jeddah.
Feras Al-Brikan scored in stoppage time to ensure a point, but it will be considered an unsatisfactory result as they now head to South Africa to take on Mamelodi Sundowns on Saturday.
The Saudi Pro League side, who won their second continental title in a row in April, had gone behind to Flamarion's 86th-minute strike, but Al-Brikan levelled seven minutes later.
The opening league phase game was Al Ahli's first in the competition under new coach Marino Pusic following the departure of Matthias Jaissle in August after the German replaced Eddie Howe at Newcastle United.
Al-Ahli are one of a record five Saudi clubs featuring in the league phase of the competition, which has been expanded from 24 to 32 teams, but their focus now switches to the new-look Fifa Intercontinental Cup, where they take on the African champions on Saturday.
The annual competition features all six of the confederation champions, and Al Ahli have already got through their preliminary round match against Auckland City, the New Zealand club who are Oceania champions. Ahli beat them 1-0 in Jeddah three weeks ago.
This year marks the third edition of the Intercontinental Cup, which broadly maintains the format of the previous annual versions of the Club World Cup, which was expanded and reorganised into a quadrennial tournament.
Paris Saint-Germain are the defending champions, having won their first Intercontinental Cup title by edging Brazil’s Flamengo on penalties in last December’s final in Qatar, and are directly through to this year’s final.
The victory in Saturday’s Afro-Asian clash will go on to play the winner of the tie between the 2026 Copa Libertadores champions and Toluca of Mexico, who won the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.
The Copa Libertadores is at the quarterfinal, second-leg stage this week. Toluca and the Copa Libertadores victors meet at a neutral venue, likely Qatar, and then play either Sundowns or Al Ahli, likely also in Qatar in December, with the winner progressing to the final against the French club. The dates and venues are still to be set by Fifa.