At the brand-new Lusail Stadium on Friday, Saudi Pro League champion Al Hilal defeated Egyptian powerhouse Zamalek 4-1 on penalties to win the Lusail Super Cup.
Hilal and Zamalek put on an exciting 90 minutes of football fit for the occasion on a night when 77,575 spectators—a record attendance for a sporting event in Qatar—flocked to catch their first look of the magnificent Lusail Stadium. The game concluded in a 1-1 draw after regular, and Hilal easily won the match after winning the penalty shootout.
Egyptian singer Amr Diab performs at the Lusail Stadium, prior to the Lusail Super Cup match between Al Hilal and Zamalek.
The match itself provided the organisers one last chance to test the preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which is just over two months away. The Lusail stadium – Qatar’s biggest venue – will host matches during every stage of the World Cup, starting with the Group C clash between Argentina and Saudi Arabia on November 22 and also the final on December 18.
On Friday, football fans soaked in the festive atmosphere with concert by Egyptian singer Amr Diab, cultural activities and grand fireworks making it a night to remember for them. The huge turnout comfortably broke the highest attendance for a sporting event in Qatar, with the previous highest being 63,439 for them home side’s match against UAE in the FIFA Arab Cup last year at the Al Bayt Stadium.
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This was just a glimpse of what is in store for the 1.5mn fans, who are set to attend the World Cup matches in in November-December.
Hassan al-Thawadi, the Secretary General at Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, was delighted with the record turnout and said Qatar was ready to host the World Cup. “We are prepared to host the World Cup ahead of time. This venue, which will stage the World Cup final, is hosting the highest number of spectators. The success of this match has shown our readiness to host an amazing World Cup,” al-Thawadi told BeIN Sports ahead of the kick off.
“We are keen to continue bringing improvement to deliver the best World Cup ever. We are ready in all aspects like the stadiums, other infrastructure and transportation. The Hayya Card has also been a great success. We hosted the FIFA Arab Cup successfully last year and we are ready to host an amazing World Cup,” he added.
On the pitch, the reigning Asian champions League Hilal were clearly the better side. Odion Ighalo’s gave the Riyadh giants the lead in the 18th minute with a stunning lob over Zamalek goalkeeper Mohamed Awad. The Nigerian striker beat the offside trap and calmly lofted the ball over Awad. Zamalek, however, fought back to level the contest in the 33rd minute when winger Ahmed Zizo put the ball into the net following a counter attack
In the second half, Hilal continued to enjoy possession but could not translate that into goal as the match went straight to penalties.
Hilal converted all of their four spot kicks, with Andre Carrillo scoring the winning penalty. Even when Luciano Vietto did miss, the kick was ordered to be re-taken after Zamalek keeper Awad was adjudged to have stepped off the goalline before the spot kick was taken.
Zizo, a specialist in free kicks, missed a rare opportunity when his initial attempt bounced off the goalpost and cost Zamalek. Abdullah al-Muaiouf, the goalkeeper, also turned away a weak attempt from defender Mahmoud El-Wensh.
The Saudi-Egyptian Super Cup was previously held three times, in 2001, 2003, and 2018, with Zamalek winning both times.
