Auckland City advance over hosts in Club World Cup on penalties

Updated: May 17, 2023, 06:25 am

Oceania champions Auckland City of New Zealand defeated Moroccan champions Moghreb Tetouan on penalties after a goalless match in the opener of the Club World Cup on Wednesday.

Auckland City's prize after prevailing 4-3 on penalties is a showdown on Saturday with another African side, ES Setif of Algeria, winners of the 2014 CAF Champions League.

The winner of that match will face Copa Libertadores champions San Lorenzo in the semifinals.

This the fourth straight year in the competition for Auckland City but the first time they have won a game since 2009, when they finished fifth.

Auckland were the dominant force in the first half and might have take the lead as early as the eighth minute.

Tim Payne tried his luck from outside the Tetouan penalty area, but home goalkeeper Mohamed El Yousfi produced a good save.

Tetouan's only real opportunity in the opening half fell to Moroccan international Mouhssine Iajour on 25 minutes, but El Yousfi's opposite number Tamati Williams stood firm.

Auckland City celebrate their victory at the Club World Cup on Wednesday.
FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Clear-cut opportunities were few and far between, but Auckland ought to have opened the scoring 10 minutes before the break.

Ryan De Vries' pass set up Emiliano Tade, who had a clear sight of goal, but the Argentine striker shot wide.

Chances were even rarer in the second half and the defences remained in charge as the game moved through extra time to the dreaded penalty shoot-out.

Tetouan fell behind early on when midfielder Ahmed Jahouh saw his penalty saved by Williams.

Then Auckland's Croatian midfielder Mario Bilen missed his and Zouheir Naim made it all square at 3-3 with one more spot kick to come before "sudden death."

Sanni Issa, who had only come off the Auckland bench in the second period of extra time, showed nerves of steel in slotting home to put the Kiwis back in front.

Mehdi Khallati had to score and he sent Williams the wrong way -- however the ball came back off the inside of the post. Khallati sank to his knees and Auckland had won 4-3.