More pressure for Jose Riveiro as Al Ahly suffer first defeat at Fifa Club World Cup against Palmeiras

Al Ahly registered a defeat in the ongoing Fifa Club World Cup campaign after they conceded a 2-0 loss against Palmeiras on Thursday at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

After holding Palmeiras at bay in the first half, the Egyptian titans conceded two goals within 10 minutes early in the second half to hand their opponents their first win.

Meanwhile, Palmeiras' first open chance came in the 12th minute when Vitor Roque burst into a promising position but only sent the ball wide, even though he only had the goalkeeper to beat.

Another chance for the Brazilian club was created in the 19th minute when Estevao beat his marker inside the box but sent his effort over the post.

Referee Anthony Taylor showed a straight red card to Palmeiras' Raphael Veiga for what he considered a rough challenge in the 38th minute, but after a VAR review, the English official rescinded the red card. Instead, Veiga was yellow-carded.

Palmeiras' determination was finally rewarded in the 49th minute when Wessam Abou Ali scored an own goal. The Al Ahly star tried to clear the ball under pressure from Palmeiras players, and he ended up sending it into his own net.

The goal was subjected to a VAR assessment, and Taylor finally signalled the goal would stand, sending Palmeiras into a celebration.

Ten minutes later, Palmeiras doubled their lead when Flaco Lopez scored. Lopez found the bottom right corner with a precise strike after beating goalkeeper Mohamed El Shenawy in a one-on-one situation.

In the 63rd minute, the game was stopped due to severe weather conditions before it resumed after 48 minutes.

Eventually, the former Caf Champions League winners were unable to fight back as Palmeiras claimed their first win in the tournament.

The defeat will surely put head coach Riveiro under more pressure.

His appointment had already been questioned by Al Ahly's legends, and the club's performance at the Club World Cup will put the former Orlando Pirates tactician under more spotlight and criticism.

The Egyptian Premier League champions will face Porto on June 24, which will be their final game in the group stage.