Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel stunned Mexican outfit Pachuca, beating their more fancied opponents 1-0 at the FIFA Club World Cup in Tokyo.
Just under 35,000 fans turned out at the National Stadium to witness CONCACAF representatives Pachuca dominate possession on a blustery afternoon in Tokyo, but Pachuca ended up on the wrong side of the scoresheet against their African opponents.
21-year-old Ghanian midfielder Moussa Narry scored the crucial goal in the 85th minute with a low drive that took a deflection off defender Leobardo Lopez and left Pachuca keeper Miguel Calero wrong-footed.
It was no less than Etoile deserved, with the Tunisian team absorbing constant bouts of Pachuca pressure before hitting their opponents with a classic sucker punch.
Etoile coach Bertrand Marchand praised his young side while admitting that Pachuca out-played his charges for long stretches of this match. Nevertheless Marchand admitted that his team was elated to have advanced to the semi-finals of the competition, where they will take on Argentine giants Boca Juniors at the National Stadium in Tokyo on December 12.
Pachuca coach Enrique Meza was happy with his team's performance, and claimed that the loss was "just one of those things."
Pachuca stars Damian Alvarez and Juan Carlos Cacho will have plenty to ponder on their long flight back to Mexico, on a day in which the highly rated duo failed to crack open a resolute Etoile defence.
Copyright © Michael Tuckerman & Soccerphile.com